Mikey's New Friend
by anime-queen46
Summary: Set in S2. After April tells the turtles she no longer wants to see them again after they mutated her father, the guys get mad at Mikey for admitting it was them. Feeling lonely without his bros to hang out with or April to talk to Mikey goes topside only to meet someone completely new. However there is something odd about Mikey's new friend. Mikey/OC looooong build up COMPLETE
1. Chapter 1

This story has been jumping around in my brain forever and it's starting to get on my nerves so alas here you go readers! Oh ya and I have to remind everyone I don't own the turtles XP

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It was unusually quiet in the lair. Almost seeming deserted with no soul in sight except for the smallest of the mutant turtles in the orange bandanna. Michelangelo sat in front of the television looking very bored when Master Splinter walked into the space that was their living room. The rat stopped when he noticed his son staring at a blank screen and sitting unusually still considering he was neither drawing, reading nor playing video games.

"Michelangelo…I am not certain in the ways of technology as the rest of you boys but I do believe if you wish to watch the television you need to turn it on," the rat teased his son kindly.

The youngest of his sons only glanced up at him with sad kicked puppy blue eyes that no person with a heart could ever hope to resist.

"Not in the mood Master Splinter…kinda to bummed for cartoons or video games," the young one admitted surprising his father.

Splinter raised an eyebrow at his son's answer before making his way over and sitting beside Michelangelo.

"Please my son, tell me what troubles you?" Splinter asked.

"I just…I dunno…I guess I'm just bored cause none of the bros wanna do anything. A guy can only practice shadow puppets for so long," Michelangelo explained making his father smile.

He had noticed that since April O'Neil had broken ties with the boys that all of his sons seemed to be focused on redeeming themselves by saving her father. However none of them seemed to be wanting to work together to fix the problem. Leonardo only seemed to meditate, Raphael focused on his training, and Donatello only wished to perfect a cure to ail Mr. O'Neil.

Needless to say this left the youngest of the brothers very lonely and it was clear that the boy missed his brothers and April. It certainly didn't help things that the last person Michelangelo had befriended was a temper prone crocodile named Leatherhead who had sacrificed himself to save his sons. At the time the orange branded turtle didn't seem too distraught about it with his brothers there to give him comfort. Then again his son was the most talented of the four of them at hiding his feelings so not to worry his older brothers or his father.

"Sensei, I wish I didn't say anything to April…I know that's lying but if I did then maybe she wouldn't be mad at us," Michelangelo said looking up to his father looking guilty.

It suddenly dawned on Master Splinter why his son was not being as persistent as he usually would when pursuing the attention of his brothers. His older boys had once again taken out their frustration of the situation on the wrong person. Although Michelangelo appeared to be the most carefree and confident of the turtles Master Splinter knew that he was in fact the most sensitive. The orange branded turtle thrived off of positive thinking and motivation from his loved ones. He often took it to heart when people he cared for spoke negatively about him.

"My son, I'm afraid you were born into this world to be an honest person. April may not see it right now but you were a good friend by being truthful with her even if it was difficult to do. Besides she may be angry now but how much more angry do you think she would be later if she found out you had gone along with your brothers and lied to her?" Splinter said comfortingly.

The young turtle gave Master Splinter a small smile before it quickly disappeared and the unnatural frown returned to his lips.

"I wish the bros saw it the same way you do...I think they're all mad at me for pushing our only friend away. Anytime I walk up to them, they just glare and tell me to go away," Michelangelo said with a sniffle.

It broke the rat's heart to see his youngest so depressed but he knew no amount of comfort from him would make his son feel better.

"Do not let your heart be troubled my son. They need space to think about the predicament you have all put yourselves in," the rat said comfortingly as he rested his hand on Mikey's shoulder.

Splinter sat in thought for a few moments before an idea came to his mind. It surprised him that he would even consider humoring the idea. It was something he would have never allowed before, especially for his youngest. However something told him that this choice would lead to something important for Michelangelo. It would also give him a chance to have a 'talk' to the rest of his sons about their behavior.

"Michelangelo I believe perhaps you should have some space away from your brothers as well," the sensei said gently.

"You want me to go on patrol alone?" Mikey asked confused.

"Not exactly my son. You have shown me that out of your brothers you were the one that showed the most responsibility by admitting that you did something wrong and are now being punished for it…perhaps for your wise choices a treat is in order for you Michelangelo," the rat said smiling as his son gave him his undivided attention.

"I noticed that new comic books have been scarce for you since Miss. O'Neil no longer comes to visit us. However she did leave some money in the pizza jar," Splinter explained knowing his son would catch on quickly.

Michelangelo's head shot up like a rocket, his eyes shining brightly with hope that he had heard his father correctly.

"Y-you mean I can go get a comic…from a real store! BRAND NEW!" the teen cried in excitement.

Splinter nodded but quickly regretted his decision when his youngest threw himself at his chest wrapping his arms around his neck saying thank you over and over. Splinter grunted at the sudden weight landing in his lap, Michelangelo had quickly forgot that he was no longer a little boy that could do this without hurting sensei.

"You are welcome my son but if you do not get off me this instant I _will _change my mind," Splinter said relieved when the weight disappeared as quickly as it came.

Michelangelo quickly ran into his room and grabbed a coat, boots and a hat before grabbing a $20.00 bill from the jar. The young turtle then ran to the layer entrance waiting for his father's approval of his attire before he could leave. Splinter approached soon after nodding in approval of his son's disguise when he noticed the money in his son's hand.

"You took so little my son will that be enough?" Splnter asked his son curiously knowing there was at least $60.00 in the jar.

"Oh ya I'm only gonna get a silver sentry comic and then maybe grab a pizza to bring home," the young turtle replied with a smile.

"Very well my son please be careful and make sure you keep your phone on," Master Splinter said as he took the money from his son's hand and put it in the boy's coat pocket.

Michelangelo nodded before making his way out of the layer to go to the comic book store where April had gone to get his last comic book that he adored.

When the orange branded turtle was out of sight Master Splinter returned into the layer calling for his remaining sons to come into the living room. He watched expressionless as Leonardo, Raphael and Donatello all came into the room looking confused.

"Is everything alright Master Splinter?" Leonardo asked concerned.

"How come Mikey ain't here?" Raph asked looked around for his prankster of a little brother.

"He is why I have called you out here my sons. Care to explain why Michelangelo is feeling guilt over being honest with Miss O'Neil?" Splinter asked looking very unimpressed with his sons.

_'Uh oh' _all three teenagers thought fearfully knowing they were in big trouble.

…

Stewart the comic book guy had seen a lot of weird looking people come in and out of his store but this guy took the cake. Never in his life had he ever seen somebody so covered up in his life, especially on a night when it was so warm and clear outside.

"Hey kid, you know something I don't? Should I have brought my umbrella or something," Stewart asked referring to the trench style rain coat and floppy hat on the stranger's head.

"Ah nope nothing at all. Skin condition…gotta cover the skin as much as possible," the kid explained making Stewart feel like a bit of an ass.

"Sorry didn't realize," the cashier apologized but the teen shook his hands out.

"No harm no foul dude just direct me to the silver sentry comics and its water under the bridge," the kid replied.

"Just over there where...the ironically silver haired girl is standing," Stewart explained referring to the tiny girl with her back turned to the guys talking.

Mikey nodded before making his way over to the book stand and stared flipping through the comics that were organized in alphabetical order.

"Got it, got it, got it…" Mikey mumbled to himself as he went through the colourful comics until his eyes fell on what he was looking for.

"NEED IT!" he shouted pulling the comic out triumphantly.

However Mikey quickly noticed that there was another hand on the comic and the turtle looked over to a pair of bluish grey eyes. The silver haired girl was looking unsure about what to do when she saw Mikey's hand on the comic.

"Uhh," she managed to say before Mikey sighed and let go of the comic.

"You take it just don't freak out ok," Mikey whispered as his face became exposed to the girl before he started to walk away.

_'Just my luck no new comic and I got caught' _Mikey thought to himself annoyed.

He had his hand on the door when he heard tiny footsteps coming towards him and then a voice blurted out, "PIZZA!"

Mikey turned to Stewart who looked confused before turning back to the girl who was holding the comic book protectively in her sun kissed hands.

"Uhh DUMPLING!" Mikey replied not knowing what else to say.

"No, that's not what was meant…umm….let this one try again…do you like pizza?" the girl asked in a shy voice.

"That depends…whose asking?" Mikey asked suspiciously.

"This one is," the girl replied simply.

"Who?" Mikey asked completely lost.

"This one," the girl repeated pointing to herself.

Michelangelo and the comic book guy stared at her strange both silently agreeing she wasn't making any sense at all. The girl took a minute to find her words before she looked ready to speak again.

"I-If you want to of course…would you like to read comics and have pizza?" the girl asked feeling more confident as she spoke.

"You wanna hang out with me?" Mikey asked sounding pleasantly surprised.

The girl smiled brightly and nodded her head enthusiastically before opening her messenger bag and showing Mikey the comics she had in it. Mikey was almost drooling at the girl's collection of silver sentry comics before looking up at her giving the girl a smile.

Stewart smiled as he watched the interaction between the strange pair before he cleared his throat to get their attention.

"If you two wanna hang out here that's fine with me. There's a table at the back of the store…but you better being me back a slice in exchange," Stewart said enjoying the idea of being a nerdy match maker.

Mikey was beside himself with excitement and quickly agreed before he grabbed the girl by the hand and together they ran out of the store to the pizza place down the street.

"You are excited to umm…hang?" the girl asked as they ran.

"Are you kidding I haven't had a friend in a while…that must sound kinda pathetic huh?" Mikey said slowing down to a walk but not letting go of the girl's hand.

"No," the girl replied quietly squeezing Mikey's hand in return.

The turtle smiled as the pair walked in silence ignorant to the stares they were receiving as they made their way to the pizza parlor. Mikey was reluctant to say anything else but this whole thing just seemed too good to be true and he needed answers. Just before they got to the store he pulled the girl into an alley way. The tiny girl looked around their surroundings before looking back at Michelangelo looking extremely confused.

"Excuse me but…this is not where pizza is sold," the girl said.

Mikey stared at her for a minute before he burst out laughing at the idea of pizza being sold in the alley before shaking his head at her.

"No, I just needed to ask you something before we go to the store. It's kinda bugging me so…" Mikey explained but trailed off trying to find the right words.

"Why did you say you wanted to hang out with me all of a sudden?" the turtle finally blurted out.

The girl seemed surprised by the question at first looking a little taken aback by the bluntness of the question. For a moment Mikey thought he opened his big mouth at the wrong time again.

"This one saw your face…," she answered after a few minutes.

"Well I am adorable," Michelangelo replied giving the girl his best smile.

The girl chuckled as she shook her head before she said, "Not your appearance silly your expression. You looked as though you needed a friend as much as this one did…is that selfish?"

Mikey thought about it for a minute and smiled before he decided to take off his hat and jacket after making sure the coast was clear so he could be seen properly.

"Nah I'd say that's pretty unselfish, I'm Michelangelo by the way but call me Mikey," the teen said.

"Maya," the girl replied with a smile.

"Well Maya since you got the comic I'll buy the pizza. Next time we'll switch ok," the turtle said holding out his hand.

"Deal," Maya replied copying Mikey by holding out her hand not getting the idea of a handshake.

"Not from around here are you?" Mikey asked when he noticed the strange action.

Maya just shook her head innocently making the turtle smile before he showed her how to do a high five. After he quickly got dressed again the new friends made their way to the pizza store.

The pair then promptly returned to the comic book store where as promised gave Stewart his slice of pizza in exchange for the table at the back of the store. Maya and Mikey barely even spoke as they ate their pizza and read their comics in a comfortable silence. It wasn't until Stewart had come over and told them the store was closing that the pair realized how late it was.

"Oh man I'm probably gonna be in trouble when I get home. I was supposed to be back hours ago," Mikey said checking his T-phone to see he had several missed calls from his family.

"This one also needs to get back home…Isla will be worried," Maya replied as they walked out of the store.

Outside the closed comic book store, the fun loving turtle found himself in a dilemma of sorts. He knew he should get back home sooner then later but he also wanted to hang out with this new girl some more. Suddenly an idea came to him and a smile spread on his face.

"Hey Maya…can I walk you home?" Mikey asked feeling brave.

A smile lit up the girl's tanned skin before she replied, "you already have…home is the apartments beside the comic book store."

Mikey's jaw dropped when she told him that making the girl giggle at his silly expression.

"You live beside the comic book store?! Dude you officially have the coolest house in the entire world. JEEEAAAAALLLOOOUUUUUUSSS," Mikey said enviously.

"It is small but it is a good home. Where is your home? Is it far?" the girl asked curiously.

"Well kinda but I can't really tell you where it is exactly. Ya know stranger danger rules and all that," Mikey explained.

"Anyway you should go home. It's been fun Maya," the turtle added ready to jump into the shadows when the girl suddenly grabbed his hand to stop him.

"You will come back won't you?" Maya asked looking a little sad.

Mikey just grinned at her confidently before he replied, "well duh how are we supposed to eat pizza and read comics if I don't show up?"

"How will this one find you?" Maya asked excited to see her new friend again.

Mikey thought about it for a minute before diving into Maya's pocket and pulled out her phone earning a surprised squeak from the girl. Mikey gave her a funny look after hearing the strange noise but immediately started to chuckle.

"Aww that was adorable," Mikey cooed.

"Stop teasing and return this one's phone," Maya replied trying to look annoyed.

Mikey rolled his eyes as he quickly typed his number in the girl's phone and sent himself a text so he could have her number as well.

"You are no fun Miss Maya. I can already tell," Mikey said handing the girl back her phone with a mischievous look on his face.

As Maya chuckled and put her phone back in her bag Mikey suddenly had a mischievous look on his face. The turtle poked her side one more time releasing another squeak from the girl before darting off down the street to get to the alleyway.

"That was rude" Maya called after the giggling boy.

Mikey turned and tipped his hat to the girl with her arms crossed trying to look upset with the mutant turtle but she was failing miserably.

"Be safe going home," she said before turning to leave up to the apartments.

"I'll message you when I get home promise!" Mikey replied before he disappeared into the shadows.

As Michelangelo made his way back home he thought about his night with a huge smile on his face. He wasn't really sure how it happened but one minute he was feeling lonely and now he was on top of the world after talking to Maya about comic books. It was a strange night but the orange branded turtle had to admit he was definitely okay with it.

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Alright folks that's all for now! Please review and tell me what you think I love hearing from people :)


	2. Chapter 2

Alright new chapter! I'm going to try and update as often as I can between school, and starting new stories as well. Hope you guys are liking it so far Enjoy:) Oh and once again I own nothing :(

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Leonardo, Raphael and Donatello were in the middle of scrubbing the dojo in a tense silence. The three brothers were serving their punishment for their unacceptable behaviour towards their youngest brother. This was after they all had to clean their rooms and practice new katas to Master Splinter's approval.

"This stinks," Raphael muttered for about the twentieth time since they started their punishment.

"We know Raph now shut it. This is bad enough without you reminding us how bad it is every five minutes," Donatello replied as he continued to scrub the floor on his hands and knees.

"Well this is! Mikey screwed up just as bad as we did but I don't see him getting punished! In fact I'm pretty sure the big baby got to go shopping," Raph argued standing up and chucking his rag to the ground.

Leo who had been listening to the conversation turned to both of his brothers and said, "We're not getting punished because we lost the canisters and you know that…you gotta admit we treated Mikey like crap."

Don and Raph looked at each other with unreadable expressions before turning back to what they were supposed to be doing.

"Ya well if he hadn't said anything to April she'd still be here," Don said sadly.

"Like it or not guys we would have had to tell April sooner or later. Mikey has never kept anything from anybody since forever…we can't be mad at Mikey for being Mikey," Leo explained.

Donnie and Raph couldn't argue with their big brother's logic. All three turtles knew that when their little brother came back they would owe him an apology. They had all started to get worried about Mikey when he didn't pick up his phone but Master Splinter had told them he was probably just caught up in his hobby. They decided that if he wasn't back within the hour after the comic book store closed then they were going after him.

Suddenly the sounds of someone running echoed throughout the layer and the three brothers looked up at each other confused. The footsteps were replaced by the door to the dojo being ripped open revealing Michelangelo himself beaming with excitement.

"Hey guys," Mikey panted.

"Where's Sensei?" he asked trying to catch his breath.

Leo gave his brother a strange look before he replied, "He's in his room…Mikey are you ok?

"Dude I am better than ok! I'm like Oreo and French fry pizza freakin' AWESOME!" the younger boy answered before running out of the dojo to go find Master Splinter.

The three remaining brothers stood frozen in shock at their younger brother's happy attitude. According to Master Splinter Mikey had looked pretty down in the dumps before he left even though he was leaving to go get a comic book.

"Damn Oreo and French fry pizza awesome...something huge must have happened while he was out," Donny said in amazement.

Raph nodded in agreement before casually looking over at the oldest of the brothers and said, "sooo you thinkin' what I'm thinkin' fearless?"

…

Mikey didn't stop running until he was in front of Master Splinter's door. He loudly knocked and waited anxiously for his father to let him in.

"Come in Michelangelo," he heard his father say before he quickly entered the room and sat in front of his father who was sitting on the ground with his eyes closed.

"How'd you know it was me Master Splinter?" Mikey asked amazed by the skill his teacher possessed.

The rat opened one eye and smirked before he replied, "you are the only one of your brothers that bounces while waiting for permission."

Mikey gave a surprised face before he started chuckling out of embarrassment and suddenly a little self-conscious of his little habit.

"Not that I do not enjoy your company my son but why have you come to see me? You seem excited about something," Master Splinter said.

Mikey suddenly remembered why he had come and started getting excited again as he remembered the events of the night...but now he was also nervous. What if Master Splinter got mad about him not only befriending another human but also showing himself to her?

"Ummm well you see…" Mikey started to say as he tried to find the right words.

Master Splinter could see clear as day how his son was fidgeting in front of him with both fear and anticipation. The rat gently leaned forward and placed at hand on his son's head to calm his nerves which apparently also opened the flood gates of verbal diarrhea.

"Master Splinter I was at the comic book store getting the new comic and ya know I'm lookin' and I'm lookin' before If found what I was looking for and I was like I NEED THIS! But somebody else had their hand on it cause they were like I NEED THIS! When I realized she was holding the comic with me and I was like oh crap she's gonna go straight up screamo on me cause she saw me! So I was like you take it and tried to leave but then she yelled PIZZA! And I was all like DUMPLING! Do you understand how awesome that is?!" Mikey said in an impressive one breath.

Master Splinter sat in front of his son shell shocked and trying desperately to piece together what his son had just told him.

"My son, let me see if I have this correct. You let yourself be seen by another human and then brought more attention to yourself by yelling out the names of random foods with said human," Master Splinter said trying not to become furious with his youngest for doing such a thing.

_'I should have never let him go on his own. What was I thinking?' _the sensei scolded himself.

"No Master Splinter you missed the most important part," Mikey said drastically more calm then he was when telling his story.

"Alright my son I'm listening," Splinter replied trying to stay calm.

Mikey just smiled before he explained, "Her name is Maya. She's got the coolest silver sentry collection that she carries around with her everywhere. She's really shy at first and makes a cute squeak if you poke her side. She likes anchovies on pizza just like I do and never says 'I' when she talks about herself always 'this one'. The best part though Master Splinter is that she saw me and didn't scream or get scared or anything like that. She just took a chance to ask me if I wanted to be her friend. She went to that comic book store just as sad and lonely as I was and decided neither one of us should leave that way."

The sensei looked at his son and saw the vast difference between how he looked when he left and how he looked now. The stars couldn't compare to the light dancing in Michelangelo's bright baby blue eyes. His smile almost took over his face. Overall Michelangelo Hamato was glowing with happiness that had not been seen in a long while.

_'He reminds me of myself when I first met my beloved Tang Shen_' Splinter thought.

"Please Master Splinter I really want to keep seeing her. She invited me to come to her apartment so that I wouldn't be seen," Mikey begged pulling his teacher from his thoughts.

Splinter remained silent as he thought over his son's request considering both the boy's track record as far as making friends went as well his son's happiness. He quickly recalled how on many occasions previous to this incident, his youngest son was left sad and lonely by his brothers because they had other things to do. Michelangelo was a gentle soul that loved being surrounded by his loved ones, he did not do well with isolation. For the sake of his son's happiness Master Splinter knew the difficult decision he was going to have to make.

"I will allow this," Splinter said at last earning an excited gasp from his son.

"I have certain rules that I expect to be obeyed for both your safety as well as your new friend's," Splinter added sternly.

The rat watched as his son comically pulled out his phone and sat beside his father. Splinter watched as Michelangelo opened up a note writing application and typed 'Rules for Team M&amp;M'. The sensei tried desperately to keep his face stern as his son stared up at him expectantly giving him an uncharacteristically attentive expression.

"Alright number one, you are to remain unseen at all times. Number two, I am to know every detail about this girl and her family if I am to come to trust her. Number three, if I feel this friend is not a good influence on you I will no longer allow you to see this friend. Number four, after a period that I see fit she will be welcome to join us in the layer and learn more about us. Finally number five, you must ask me permission at all times to go visit with your friend," Splinter listed and watched impressed as Mikey diligently wrote down the rules.

"Done and done," Mikey said saving his note and putting away his phone.

The orange branded turtle then looked up to his teacher with a hopeful glance and asked, "So I can go see her now?"

Master Splinter chuckled before he replied, "well not _now _per say since I'm sure the girl is in bed, but yes you may go to visit your friend."

"After asking of course," Mikey added in with a cheeky smile as if to say _'see I'm paying attention.'_

Suddenly the young turtle looked as if he had forgotten something extremely important and jumped up looking disturbed.

"What is it my son?" Splinter said surprised by the sudden change in Michelangelo.

"Oh my gosh! I forgot to text Maya to tell her I got home safe she's probably freaking out! I gotta go," Mikey said.

Mikey ran to the door and was about to rip it open when he stopped and turned back to Master Splinter. Quick as a bunny the fun loving turtle ran up to his father and threw his arms around his neck giving him a hug.

"Thanks again Master Splinter...for everything," Mikey said.

Splinter smiled and returned the gesture pulling his youngest tightly to his chest before he released him and said, "you are welcome my son, now go call your friend so she doesn't worry about you."

Suddenly remembering Mikey jumped up and ran to the door. When he opened it though he was quickly met with an avalanche of brothers tumbling to the ground at his feet.

"Uh guys what are you doing?" Mikey asked innocently.

All three brothers suddenly began talking over each other making excuses about why they were outside their sensei's door.

"Yamea!" Splinter shouted causing all the turtles to go silent.

"I believe you boys have punishment to attend to and Michelangelo has a call to make," Splinter said in a tone left no room for argument.

Splinter watched as his sons disappeared from his room leaving him in peace at last before he prepared to begin his mediation.

"Kids," he mumbled as he closed his eyes.

…

Leonardo, Raphael and Donatello once again found themselves back cleaning the dojo. Each of them were lost in their thoughts pondering about their little brother's new friend.

"I don't like it," Raph said as he heard Mikey laughing from the living room.

Leo rolled his eyes before he replied, "that's because Mikey's social life has nothing to do with fighting or your pet turtle."

"I'm serious Leo! This chick could be bad news and end up hurting Mikey. I got this same feeling with that hack Chris Bradford and Leatherhead," the red branded turtle replied shortly.

"Well I'll give you that Bradford is a slime ball, but Mikey could look past Leatherhead's anger to see someone no one else could see and wanted to help him," Leo argued back as he continued cleaning.

"As for that bad feeling Raph; I think they call that jealousy," Donny piped in teasing his older brother.

Both Leo and Donny snickered as they watched Raphael stop what he was doing and shoot a glare at them angrily.

"You two are kidding me right? I am not jealous of Mikey's more than likely imaginary girlfriend. That's just ridiculous," Raph growled his brothers before turning away from them.

The trio returned to working in silence as they listened to the sound of Mikey talking on the phone with the girl he had just met that night. Leo looked over at Raph to make sure he was preoccupied before catching Donny's eye.

_'Play along' _Leo mouthed to the tech savvy turtle before he cleared his throat.

"Hey Donny, remember how excited Raph was when he found out Bradford was a jerk?" Leo asked in a deliberately loud whisper.

The purple branded turtle only chuckled before he replied, "oh ya that was great! Almost as good as watching Raph sulk because Mikey would compare everything he did to Leatherhead."

Raph had a vein pulsing on his forehead as he glared at his brothers who were clearly trying to make a point that was not true…entirely. The short fused turtle was about to give Leo and Donny a piece of his mind when Mikey walked in smiling from ear to ear.

"Hey guys," the fun loving turtle greeted as if his brothers hadn't left him in the dust just a couple hours ago.

Leonardo quickly gave Donny and Raph a look before all three turtles dropped what they were doing and walked over to their youngest brother looking guilty.

"Hey Mikey look…" Leo started before he trailed off and sighed.

Up until this point the leader thought apologizing was going to be the easy part of punishment because it was Mikey, he always forgave them. Now looking at his freckle face little brother staring up at him happily he recalled the harsh words they had all said to him earlier that night.

**_Flashback_**

_The air in the layer was full of tension as all four brothers sat in the main area in four different corners of their home. Leonardo was watching space heroes on the coach enjoying the cartoon as it played on the television in comfortable silence._

_ Donatello sat on the couch beside him looking inconsolably depressed, he had been that way since April had cut ties with them. Raphael had his back turned from them with Spike on his shoulder, all his attention was fully concentrated on the pinball machine._

_Mikey was doodling in his sketchbook and sighed as he noticed that he only had a couple of pages left in it before it would be completely full of his mater pieces._

_"Dudes I don't know about you but I'm pretty bored. Anybody up for skateboarding or something?" Mikey asked filling the silence that had filled the room._

_Leonardo used the remote to turn off his show before standing up and facing his brother, "Actually Mikey I was going to go do some solo training so the tv is yours if you wanna play video games."_

_Mikey frowned before he replied, "I wanna hang out with you guys. Maybe we can spar together."_

_Raph finally losing interest in the game turned to Mikey and piped in, "Mikey we're always together okay. If it's not looking for canisters then we're here stuck in the same room with the same three other people day after day."_

_"You call sitting in the same room avoiding each other hanging out?" Mikey replied._

_"What Raph is trying to say Mikey is that, we just need our own space for a while. I mean it's great that you wanna try and get us to do stuff together but aren't you tired of wanting to be around us 24/7?" Leo said trying to explain gently._

_Mikey just stared at him with a shocked expression before he replied, "you guys are my bros. I could never get tired of being around you."_

_"Well why don't you go see what April is up to? Oh that's right! She wants nothing to do with us anymore BECAUSE OF YOU!" Donny suddenly burst out in anger._

_Leo was about to say something but Mikey came to his own rescue and said, "That's not fair Donny! We all lost the mutagen canisters, not just me."_

_"True," Donny said standing up before we walked over and poked his finger violently into Mikey's plastron._

_"However _you _were the one that had to go and tell her that we screwed up. If it wasn't for you she'd still be here!" Donny accused. _

_"And what lie to her? Tell her we had nothing to do with it? That wouldn't be right bro sensei taught us better than that," Mikey replied._

_Donny suddenly felt defeated by his younger brother but the purple branded turtle still wanted Mikey to hurt as much as he did._

_"Maybe you're right Mikey. But I think I speak for all of when I say that right now we'd rather have her here then you," Donny hissed before he picked up his books and left the room._

_Mikey was shocked as he stood frozen on the spot. He watched as his tech savvy brother left to go to his lab. The orange branded turtle then looked over to Raph who just shrugged his shoulders before leaving the room as well to go to his room. Finally Mikey dared to look back to his oldest brother who seemed just as shocked by Donny's words as Mikey was. _

_"Do you think that to?" Mikey asked Leo sounding defeated._

_Leonardo didn't know what to do. On one hand he was kind of mad at his little brother for April finding out they had something to do with her father's mutation. On the other hand though he really did hate to see his little brother that way._

_In the end all he did was squeeze Mikey's shoulder and said, "I'll see you later Mikey."_

_With that he walked out of the room leaving his youngest brother in the living room alone with the guilt of pushing away their only human friend._

**_End of Flashback_**

Leonardo didn't think he could ever forgive himself for doing that to his youngest brother knowing that now he was just going to brush it off and act like it never happened.

"Mikey we are so, so sorry about what we said," Leo apologized.

"Ya…that wasn't cool. Sorry little brother," Raph replied not able to look Mikey directly in the eye.

"We were mad and frustrated…I shouldn't have said that," Donny said looking the most regretful of the three.

"You were right and I didn't want you to be so I just…it's never gonna happen again I swear," the purple branded turtle promised.

All the while as they were apologizing Mikey's smile slowly disappeared and was replaced by an unreadable expression. The older turtles were worried that maybe this time Mikey wouldn't be so forgiving to his big brothers.

Suddenly three splashes could be heard throughout the dojo. Leonardo, Raphael and Donatello all looked shocked by the fact they were now all completely soaking wet. Then a flash went off and the three turtles realized that Mikey had just snapped their picture.

"Ok now I forgive you," Mikey chuckled.

"Seriously," Donny said unimpressed but chuckling none the less knowing they deserved it.

"I can't believe he just did that," Leo said.

"Like a turtle do!" Mikey cheered before running from the dojo away from his soggy brothers.

Leo, Raph and Donny thought that Mikey had left them to their punishment for the night but was surprised when the fun loving turtle came back.

"You forget somethin' Mikey?" Raph asked.

Mikey just nodded before he pulled out two rags out of his belt and started swinging them like they were his nun chucks.

"Let's do this son!" Mikey shouted.

"Bro you do not have to help us clean the dojo," Raph said shocked once again by the youngest.

"Oh c'mon dudes. It'll get done a lot faster if I help and then we can actually go do something fun," Mikey replied.

The four brothers all quickly got to work cleaning the dojo when Leo said, "So Mikey, tell us about your new girlfriend."

"Ya are we gonna meet her any time soon or are you the only one that can see her?" Donny asked teasing his brother.

Mikey just gave his brother a look before chucking one of his rags at Donny smacking the purple branded turtle right in the face.

"Don't be like that Mikey. Tell us about this new friend of yours," Raph chimed in after chuckling at Donny getting smacked with the rag.

Leo, Raph and Don all smiled as they listened to Mikey talk while they got to work all thinking the same thing _'Never change Mikey.'_

* * *

That's all for now thank you for the follows and review that I have gotten so far please continue to review and tell me what you think of the story so far. Till next time take care friends :)


	3. Chapter 3

I am liking where this is going so far and thank you to everyone who is reviewing, following and making it their favorite so far. Once again I own nothing and I hope you guys enjoy :)

* * *

It was a bright, early morning and the school yard was completely void of any of the student body that attended the school. The exception however being a slim red head who was waiting in the front office reading a book. April O'Neil was waiting patiently for the new exchange student to be arriving at any moment according to her watch. The teacher had asked her if she wouldn't mind taking the new exchange student under her wing. As class rep and a peer tutor on top of that it was only natural that she was asked to be the new kid's buddy.

Footsteps took the red head's attention away from her book and noticed the people entering the office to the front desk. It was an young woman holding a baby no more than a year old with a younger teenage girl in tow. All three had beautifully tanned skin, wavy silver hair and bluish grey eyes.

"Excuse me th- I mean _I_ am dropping off my sister to start school today," the woman said nervously.

The secretary gave her a strange look before turning to her calendar book which held all important memos about students and events. The woman looked through her daily notes quickly before looking back up at the women.

"Oh yes here we are…Maya Brooks," the woman said in a cheerful tone.

The younger girl smiled politely before nodding her head to confirm her name to the secretary behind the desk.

"Then you must be Isla, lovely to meet you both. Let me just get the principal for you," the secretary said before buzzing the principal's office.

Soon an older man walked out wearing a clean suit and a kind smile on his face. Casually he walked over and introduced himself.

"Hello, my name is Mr. Adams. You must be Isla and Maya," the principal said holding out his hand to the girls.

If it wasn't so awkward to watch April would have burst out laughing. Both girls held their arms out in front of them making the principal give them a strange look. Ever the professional, Mr. Adams used the hand he intended to shake their hands with to direct the newcomers' attention towards April.

"Ladies I'd like you to meet April O'Neil. She'll be in the same class as Maya and has graciously agreed to show her new classmate around the school," the principal explained.

"Nice to meet you," April replied bowing her head in greeting.

"Greetings April O'Neil," both girls said at the same time.

April tried not to look freaked out by how in sync these two girls were and instead just tried to play it off by making small talk. The red head smiled when she caught the eye of the baby in the older girl's arms, realizing he had been spotted the little one promptly hid his face in the crook of Isla's neck.

"What a cute baby, what's his name?" April cooed at the little boy who was quickly melting her heart with his adorableness.

"Thank you April O'Neil. This one's son is called Caspian," Isla replied proudly before quickly looking sheepish for the way she referred to herself.

"Forgive me I am still getting used to speaking English and sometimes the translation is strange," Isla explained.

"No need to be embarrassed. You speak English very well if you don't mind me saying so," Mr. Adams said kindly trying to make the new family feel comfortable.

Both girls smiled gratefully to the principal before he added, "I apologize I can't stay I have a meeting this morning. I assure you though I leave you in good hands with our April."

After one final farewell Mr. Adams left leaving April alone with the strange pair and the super cute baby that the red head was quickly falling in love with. At first none of them said anything but April found it interesting that Isla and Maya kept staring at each other making expressions to one another that made it look like they were having a conversation with their faces. Finally after a minute Isla smiled at Maya and squeezed her shoulder before turning to April.

"Please…take care of her while she is away from me," Isla said before smiling at April and nodding.

"Don't worry she's safe with me," April replied.

With that Isla hesitantly left the office with her son leaving a nervous looking Maya behind who had begun to fidget with her hair. Sensing how nervous Maya was April couldn't help but sympathize for the girl being in a new place and gave her a warm smile.

"Hey don't worry. Everyone is pretty nice around here and I'm here if you have questions or you're not sure about something," April said gently getting a small smile from the girl.

"Thank you," Maya replied quietly.

"No problem. So let's show you around so you don't get lost," April replied leading Maya out of the office.

As the red head showed the new girl around the school she couldn't help but smirk when she noticed that Maya had stopped fidgeting with her hair. They even began making small talk as April led them through the halls to show Maya where everything was. As they were passing the cafeteria the girls were surprised when a blur ran around the corner of the hall slamming directly into April sending her flying to the ground.

The red head was dazed as she lay on the ground trying to figure out what had just happened. Maya was at her side in an instant asking if she was ok. April nodded and winced as another person knelt beside her. She looked up to see a boy with long messy black hair held back in a bandanna with matching black eyes.

"Hey sorry about that running late for practice. Didn't think anyone else would be willing to be at school this early. You alright?" the boy said helping April back up to her feet along with Maya.

"Ya peachy I love making friends with the floor," April replied irritated by the guy.

The boy just glared at her before he said, "look I said sorry ya don't need to rip my head off Red, geez."

"Well don't run in the halls and we wouldn't have this problem…did you just call me Red?" April argued looking very unimpressed.

"Look I gotta go. Sorry and I hope you didn't get brain damage. Later!" the boy shouted as he ran off down the hall.

April growled at his retreating form forgetting that Maya was standing beside her and giving her a strange look.

"Umm are you alright?" Maya asked nervously.

"Yes, I just can't stand how jocks think they can rule the school. If any of those guys give you any grief you let me know and I'll put them in their place," April replied.

Maya just smiled and nodded the girl before the pair continued their tour of the building. Their last stop was the classroom and immediately everyone was staring at the new girl making her extremely uncomfortable. Noticing this April grabbed the girl's hand and quickly led her over to the empty desk that was beside her's at the front of the class so she wouldn't notice all of the people staring.

"You ok?" April asked her as they sat down.

"It is overwhelming being in such a new place with so many eyes watching," Maya whispered trying not to look behind her.

Before April could say anything the teacher walked in to begin class. After a quick introduction to the class the students quickly lost interest in the quiet girl and paid her no mind for the rest of the day. However the girl was happy that she had at least made one new friend at school that she felt comfortable with and spent the day by April's side.

…

It had been almost a month since Mikey had met his new friend and the rest of the Hamato family had yet to meet the girl for themselves. Master Splinter was still considering the idea of letting a new person into their lives but so far the sensei was impressed with both his son and the stranger. The fun loving turtle was very diligent about asking permission before going up and when he came back the first thing he did was go to Master Splinter to talk in private about where he had been and what he had been doing.

The three older turtles admittedly were enjoying the fact that their baby brother had a social life. It gave them an opportunity to do things on their own that they normally couldn't do without Mikey bugging the shell out of them with no end in sight. However the bros had to admit they were beginning to notice it when their youngest wasn't around especially since it was happening more and more.

Leo, Raph and Don had become used to their baby brother running around causing as much mayhem and noise as he could. Whenever he left now it became so unbearably quiet that the guys had to turn up the tv or start sparing to make up for the lack of sound that usually rippled through their home. None of them would admit it but they were starting to miss their baby bro and his shenanigans.

After one particular night when all four brothers had just come home from searching for mutagen canisters, Master Splinter greeted them at the entrance. They had barely walked into the lair when Michelangelo was bouncing up and down like he usually did scarfing down his pizza. Raph couldn't help but roll his eyes as once again his baby brother regaled them with the heroic tale of the cottage cheese monster.

_'Seriously where does he come up with this stuff?' _the short tempered turtle thought to himself as he snagged another piece of pizza.

"I can't believe we still haven't found anything," Donny commented frustrated.

Leo, Raph and Mikey all silently agreed as they ate their pizza but they knew that giving up on finding the canisters was not an option.

"Do not be troubled my sons these things will take time," Master Splinter trying to keep the turtles' spirits up.

"We know Master Splinter but it just feels like we keep hitting dead ends," Leo replied.

Raphael watched as his family struggled to find a solution to getting the mutagen containers back. He was feeling himself grow restless and wanted nothing more than to just drop the subject for now and relax with his brothers and sensei.

The sound of a cellphone going off brought Raphael out of his thoughts and he turned to see Michelangelo picking up his T-cell with a huge grin on his face.

"Alright! She finished her homework early," Mikey cheered before picking up the phone.

"You raaaaaaaang," Mikey answered before walking off towards his room.

The rest of the Hamato family watched as their youngest left the room to go talk to his friend. Splinter smirked when he saw his remaining three sons sigh as they watched their brother leave them to go talk to his friend.

_'So much for hanging out with the bros' _Raph thought knowing that if Mikey wasn't gonna ask them to spend time together then they would just spend the night away from each other.

It wasn't long before Michelangelo ran back to the kitchen towards their sensei and asked the same question he asked almost every night.

"Can I go see Maya tonight please?" the orange masked turtle pleaded.

However all of the turtles were shocked when Master Splinter replied, "No my son, you still stay home with your family tonight."

Mikey's eye became wide as saucers and his expression horrified by his sensei's reply. It was the look he gave as one of the foot or the krang were about to attack him which usually automatically put his brothers in protective mode. Tonight though the boys were secretly delighted that Master Splinter told the fun loving turtle that he was home bound for the night.

"Why not sensei? I haven't broken any of the rules so why am I being punished?" Mikey replied.

The room became quiet with a tense silence that was thick and heavy. If one were listening close enough one could hear the sounds of three hearts being crushed. Mikey didn't want to hang out with them and that thought did not sit well with his big brothers. It suddenly dawned on all three of them that this is what Mikey must have felt like when they didn't want to hang out with him. Karma had finally come around and served her justice.

"Michelangelo you misunderstand my words," Master Splinter replied kindly.

The sensei knew his youngest well enough to know that he genuinely thought he was being grounded for doing something wrong. It was extremely rare that the sensei said no to Michelangelo's request to go see his friend, especially since the turtle worked so hard at following the rules set for him.

"I do not wish to punish you by making you stay home. I simply wish to have all of my sons at home together, is that too much for this old rat to ask?" Sensei explained.

All four turtles gave Master Splinter a strange look before Mikey replied, "I think I speak for all of us when I say, what's the catch?"

"Early morning training," Spinter replied making no attempt to hide his plans cuing the chorus of groans from his sons.

"After that Michelangelo I expect you to be cleaning this lair top to bottom minus your brothers' rooms," the sensei added before making his way to his room.

"Wait I thought I wasn't being punished," Mikey whined.

Splinter stopped and smirked to himself before turning to his son with a calm expression on his face and replied, "You aren't Michelangelo but I will not allow you to welcome any guests into this home with it in its current condition."

All four turtles took a minute to realize what their father was saying to them. Three jaws suddenly hit the floor and a smile lit up the room when they realized what was going to happen.

"He's seriously going to let Mikey do this?" Donny said in shock.

"Looks that way," Leo replied with a smile.

"I don't like this," Raph said looking furious.

Mikey's face was lit up like a Christmas tree as he practically teleported over to Master Splinter standing in front of him excited.

"Are you serious Master Splinter? I can bring Maya down here to meet you guys?" Mikey asked.

"Yes my son I am being very serious both about her coming and you cleaning the lair. It may seem like punishment but I only wish for us to make a good first impression to our guest," Splinter explained before Mikey knocked the wind out of him as he hugged him around the waist.

"Thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you!" the orange masked turtle shouted.

Master Splinter couldn't help chuckling as he returned the hug to his youngest. It had been difficult keeping this decision from his son but it had been worth it to see the turtle so happy. The sensei had made his decision a few days ago after meditating on it heavily. Both Maya and Michelangelo had worked hard to follow the rules that had been set for them. After finally making the decision Splinter decided to keep it a surprise until the end of the week when he knew the children living above did not have school.

"This will become only a weekend occurrence until I say otherwise. She will have to be blindfolded and have you guide her to our home. For her safety and ours she must not learn how to get here on her own until I have decided that she may be trusted further," Master Splinter explained.

The rat watched in amusement as Mikey pulled out his phone and began adding to his list of rules for team M&amp;M. Leo, Raph and Donny looked unsure about their father's decision to allow this person into their home but they couldn't deny that it made their baby brother pretty happy. The leader and the tech savvy turtle chose to keep their concerns to themselves for the time being and let Mikey enjoy his happiness but somebody just didn't know when to stay quiet.

"Sensei have you gone nuts?!" Raph shouted getting everyone's attention.

"You question my decision Raphael?" Splinter replied.

"Damn right I do! Maybe Mikey's been talkin' to you, but we have no fricken clue about anything to do with this girl. She could be another Bradford for all we know," Raph ranted.

"All the more reason to meet her. I know I'd feel better if I met this person so I could learn more about her," Donny said only infuriating his brother further.

"You guys can't be serious," Raph hissed.

"Raph she invites Mikey into her home to meet her family at her own risk. I mean the only other person that ever showed us that courtesy was April. I really don't want push another person out of our lives," Leo said missing having someone to talk to outside of his brothers.

Raph was ready to lose his shit on all of them. How could they risk their lives and their home for one stupid girl? Before he could even think about unleashing his anger out on his family he found himself being shoved back by a very angry little brother.

"What is your problem Raph? I thought you'd be the happiest that I had somebody keeping me out of your hair! How can you have an opinion about her anyway when you haven't even met the girl yet?" Mikey yelled.

Raph couldn't even answer and had the good sense to shut up and put his head down.

"Dude I thought I was supposed to the jokester here but you're the funniest thing around bro…got an awful lot to say about someone you don't know considering you're a giant mutant turtle," Mikey continued to scold crossing his arms.

"I'm just trying to protect you ok! You always seem to manage to make friends with enemies," Raph replied.

"If protecting me means not being able to trust anybody I meet then I'll take my chances on my own," Mikey practically screamed surprising his family.

Nobody in the room could move they were so shocked by the orange masked turtle who had uncrossed his arms clenching his fists instead. Leo was the first to recover and quickly walked over to Mikey and wrapped his arm around his younger brother affectionately.

"Come one Mikey don't let the sour shell ruin this. You go call Maya and tell her the good news and tomorrow we'll even help you clean up," Leo said trying to cheer up the smaller turtle.

"Your right Leo I'll go do that," Mikey replied his smile returning to his face almost instantly.

As Michelangelo left the room the two remaining brothers and Master Splinter all turned a glare at the hot head turtle.

"This is a mistake," Raph said before stomping to his room fuming and slamming the door behind him.

…

The red masked turtle hadn't realized he had fallen asleep until he looked at the clock in surprise. When he last looked at it the numbers glowed 9:00pm but now it read 11:59pm. Groggily the turtle sat up and rubbed his eyes before realizing how thirsty he was. Quietly the red masked turtle stood up and made his way to the kitchen to grab a drink. After gulping down some water he poured himself another glass to take upstairs with him for later. As he walked back to his room he kept thinking about how nervous he was about Mikey bringing this girl to the layer.

The thing that scared him the most was that this person was gonna weasel her way into his baby bro's giant heart and then smash it into smithereens before his eyes.

_'Nope not gonna happen. I won't let it happen' _Raph thought already in his protective big brother mode.

The light from Mikey's room pulled Raph from his thoughts. Curiosity got the better of him and the hot headed turtle peeked into his brother's room to get the shock of his life. Mikey was up at almost midnight cleaning his room. Raph had to admit this girl must be something if Mikey was cleaning instead of sleeping.

"I'm either sleeping or dead to be seeing this right now," Raph said leaning against the door and scaring the crap out of his brother.

Mikey looked surprised until he realized who it was and then looked irritated at seeing Raph standing in his doorway.

"What do you want?" Mikey sneered as he looked away and continued cleaning.

"Noticed your light and wondered why you were up. You're gonna be tired for training if you keep this up little brother," Raph replied ignoring his brother's tone.

"I'm just getting a head start don't worry about me," Mikey said before he yawned.

Raph just chuckled before he replied, "I'm your big brother it's my job to worry."

"Ya well you need a vacation. You worry too much," Mikey said still sore at the hot head.

The red masked turtle sighed before walking into his brother's room and setting his water down on the dresser. Then he picked up a garbage bag and started throwing out all the nasty stuff he found lying on the floor.

"Dude you don't have to help go back to bed," Mikey said giving his brother a confused look.

Raph only grunted at him in reply and kept going while the younger turtle gave up and just kept putting stuff away where it belonged. It only took the brothers another twenty minutes to finish up the cleaning before they plopped down onto Mikey's bed.

Both brothers sat in silence until Raph finally piped up and said, "Look Mikey I'm sorry I blew up. It's just…I'm not…I dunno if I'm ready to trust outside this family yet."

"You trust April," Mikey replied.

"Even so that took some getting used to but I was also there when we met her. I dunno nothing about this chick," Raph confessed.

"Exactly bro. You've got this whole idea in your thick skull that's she's out to get us but that's not fair. That's like someone telling you it's weird that you're a turtle that talks to his pet turtle," Mikey replied.

"Hey! Spike gets me and he's a good listener," the red masked turtle defended.

"Maybe but you still look like a crazy cat lady…minus the cats…and the lady parts," the smaller turtle replied.

Raph smacked the back of his little brother's head before contemplating his words. Mikey had a point, he knew their small family had to trust people eventually but it still scared him. Not so much for himself as he was scared for Mikey. The kid trusted people so easily that it terrified the rest of the family, he desperately wanted to see the good in people. Raph loved that about his brother, loved that even when the hot head was treating him awful the fun loving turtle would always forgive him knowing he wasn't trying to hurt him on purpose.

He remembered hearing Mikey describe Maya to Master Splinter and was admittedly jealous at the idea that his little brother found someone he had more in common with then he did with his big brother. Then he heard Mikey say she had been lonely to and took a chance to ask him to be her friend.

_'Maybe I oughta rethink this whole friend thing.' _Raph thought before making a decision.

"Alright Mikey I'll give her a chance. I'm only doin' this cause you had a point about not judging people and stuff," Raph said.

When he didn't get a reply Raph looked over just in time to see Mikey coming at him to tackle him into an affectionate hug.

"Thanks Raph I know you're gonna love her," Mikey replied happily.

"Yay ya but let me make one thing clear. She does anything to hurt you or try to do something to anybody then her ass is grass," Raph said wrapping his arms around his baby bro.

Mikey just smiled and nodded his head as he gave his annoyed brother one last snuggle.

"Thanks for looking out for me bro," the orange masked turtle said.

"Anytime. Now go to bed or else I'm pouring water on ya head tomorrow morning," Raph said letting go of Mikey and standing up.

Once Mikey was tucked in bed Raph turned the light off in the room and whispered, "Sweet dreams ya little maniac."

"Night grumpy," Mikey replied before falling asleep.

* * *

I'm having fun writing Maya since I have never written a meek female character before. She will eventually come out of her shell but I hope you guys like her as she is at the moment. Don't forget to review and tell me what you think, till next time readers :)


	4. Chapter 4

So sorry for the delay I have exams and assignments for the end of the semester so I'm trying to work on it when I can. Last semester is always the craziest lol Anyway I hope you guys like Enjoy!

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Leonardo and Donatello took a look around the lair inspecting it to make sure it was up to Master Splinter's guest receiving approval. Metaphorically speaking the lair was sparkling clean and everything was put away in its own place. Both boys looked pleased with themselves on the job well done and were anticipating the arrival of Mikey's friend.

"What do you think she's like?" Donny asked his older brother.

"Well we know she's not invisible so knowing Mikey…she'll probably be just as insane as he is," Leo joked with a smirk.

The savvy turtle shuddered before he replied, "Mother of Einstein please no. I don't think I could handle two Mikeys trying to break into my lab."

Leonardo chuckled at his younger brother neither one noticing that Master Splinter had walked into the room to see how they were doing. It wasn't until he was digging his fingers under their chins that they even noticed him come up behind them.

"I have an idea," Master Splinter said in a sarcastically chipper voice.

"Let's us get to know this young lady and _then _make a decision about what we think. How does that sound?" Splinter added pressing in his fingers ever so slightly.

Both Leonardo and Donatello nodded their heads quickly in agreement before Master Splinter finally released his hold on the pair.

"Excellent choice," Master Splinter added before walking over to the couch and taking a seat in his usual spot in the living area.

The rat did little to hide his amused smirk as he watched his sons rub their sore necks where he had been pressing on their pressure points. A sound caught his attention. Splinter turned to see his second oldest walking down from his room with his pet on his shoulder and a scowl on his face.

"Did you finish cleaning your room Raphael?" Splinter asked sniffing out for lies.

"Yes sensei...and before you ask, yes I made sure to put the toilet seat down in the bathroom," the short tempered turtle replied in a bored tone.

Master Splinter gave his red masked son a nod of approval before gesturing for the boys to come sit on the couch with him.

"My sons, I know I have spoken to you about this before but I need to know you understand. This young lady is to feel nothing less than welcome and comfortable in our home. This visit means a great deal to your brother and I wish it to go well," Master Splinter explained.

"We will be perfect gentlemen behaving courteously and politely," Leonardo replied.

"Give personal space to let her get used to everything and let her come to us," Donatello added the memorized rule from memory.

Splinter nodded in approval to both of his sons before turning his attention to the quiet turtle to his right.

"Raphael, is there something you'd like to add?" the sensei asked.

The short tempered turtle only crossed his arms before he replied, "I don't see why you are making this such a big deal sensei? We never went above and beyond like this when April started hanging around here."

"That was a very different situation Raphael. Besides as I said before this visit means much to Michelangelo and I will not have you scaring her away," Splinter scolded to his son.

Raph sighed and remained silent for a few minutes before he replied, "Don't worry Master Splinter I promised Mikey I'd give this girl _one _chance. In other words I promise I'll play nice with the new kid."

Before the sensei could say anything else to his second oldest son the sounds of giggling and squeaks brought the family to the realization that Michelangelo had returned home with his guest. The Hamato family waited in anticipation for the pair to enter the living area.

…

Maya had once again tripped over something, only this time she fell to the ground pulling her friend down with her. The two began giggling uncontrollably at their situation of being a pile of limbs on the ground.

"This one is sorry Michelangelo. Walking around with a blind fold on is proving more difficult than anticipated," Maya giggled as she tried to sit up.

"Ya well apparently I'm not a very good seeing eye turtle so we can suck at this together," Mikey replied pushing himself off of the ground and helping Maya to her feet.

"Is this one all dirty now?" Maya asked worried.

"Nah you're good. Besides they won't care what your clothes look like anyway," Mikey replied.

Maya brushed her hands over the skirt of her dress feel very self-conscious as she said, "You are certain…maybe this one should have worn something nicer…"

The girl stopped her rambling when Mikey stopped her and put his hands on her shoulders giving them a comforting squeeze.

"We only got a couple of rules down here that we take seriously. 1) We may not be blood but we're still family so all for one and one for all 2) Don't judge a book by its cover because who are we to talk 3) Just be yourself...unless you can be Batman then always be Batman," Mikey explained.

Maya smiled as she listened to Mikey talk about his family house rules. She genuinely wanted her friend's family to be as accepting of her as he was.

"Do…do you think they'll like this one?" Maya asked timidly.

The felt the turtle give her shoulder another squeeze before he replied, "by end of tonight they'll probably like you more than me."

The tiny girl chuckled as she allowed Michelangelo to continue leading her down the sewers towards where the layer was. As they got closer Maya felt more confident knowing that Michelangelo would be by her side if she felt afraid.

**_*THUMP*_**

_'Now if only this one could stop tripping over everything' _Maya thought as she once again found herself lying on the ground.

"Alright that's it!" Mikey shouted as he easily picked up the tiny girl and threw her over his shoulder making her squeak in surprise.

"Michelangelo this one is wearing a dress _please _put her down," Maya begged already knowing what was going to happen.

"Don't worry I got this," Mikey replied confidently before bolting down the sewers in a run.

Maya squealed in surprise and clung onto where ever she could reach on Mikey's shell for dear life. She could already feel the breeze under her dress and went bright red when she felt the fabric fly up and over covering the orange masked turtle's face.

"Ah! The dress is trying to eat me! BAD DRESS! BAD DRESS!" Mikey cried.

Thankfully they weren't far from the layer when Mikey stopped to pull Maya's dress off of his head and gently set the girl back on her feet. All the while both friends were laughing uncontrollably at what just happened and grateful that Maya wore a pair of mini shorts under her dress.

"Heh my bad I did not know those did that," Mikey said bashfully.

"No harm done but perhaps next time do not be in such a rush," Maya giggled.

Mikey nodded before he led them into the layer and shouted out "TEAM M&amp;M IN THE HOUSE Y'ALL!"

The fun loving turtle was surprised when he saw his entire family sitting on the couch and staring at him with bored expressions.

"Oh uh hey," Mikey said bashfully waving one hand at them and holding Maya's hand in the other.

...

Maya squeezed Mikey's hand nervously as she listened to him speak to his family that she was about to meet. Even with the blindfold on the timid girl could feel the four sets of eyes staring at her intently and started feeling self-conscious again.

"Maya meet the fam, fam meet Maya," Mikey introduced pulling the girl from her dark thoughts.

"She can't see us shell for brains," a gruff voice replied making Maya smile.

"Oh right…sorry Maya," Mikey said pulling his orange mask from her eyes.

The silver haired girl blinked her bluish grey eyes to adjust to the sudden light. Once she could see clearly again she stood nervously in front of the Hamato family who remained silentl as they observed her with emotionless faces.

"Hello," Maya said in her quiet voice as she timidly waved to Michelangelo's sensei and brothers.

The Hamato family was surprised by Michelangelo's new friend. Usually the youngest went for friends that were larger than life and were in some way extraordinary. This tiny girl with wavy silver hair was tiny and timid. She didn't stand out in any particular way other than her hair and eye colour which were uncommon for humans as far as they knew. She was dressed modestly in a dress with a white t-shirt style top and a black skirt with black flats that suited her slim form.

Master Splinter was the first to recover. The sensei quickly stood up and silently walked over to the girl in a graceful stride. The girl looked up at him fearfully but to the rat's surprise it was not a fear of his rodent form as he was used to. This girl had the fear of rejection in her eyes, fear that he would see something about her he didn't like and refuse to allow her to be friends with his son.

Master Splinter gave the tiny girl a kind smile before he said, "Welcome to our home Miss Maya. We are honored that we can meet you at last."

"Thank you for allowing this one to come," Maya replied politely bowing her head.

"You must be Mister Hamato?" the girl added hoping she was saying his name right.

"Please call me Master Splinter. Everyone does," the sensei replied in an amused tone.

"Let me introduce my sons," Splinter said turning to his three sons sitting on the couch.

"Oh please let this one guess," Maya said quickly in an excited tone smiling brightly at the rat.

Master Splinter nodded in amusement at the girl's sudden excitement before Maya looked over at the three brothers.

She took a minute to look them over before she pointed to them one at a time and said, "Donatello….Leonardo…and last but not least Raphael."

All three looked her with a mixed expression of impressed and uncertainty that she already knew so much about them and they had yet to learn a thing about her.

"Dude that was awesome! I didn't even tell you their mask colours and you got it," Mikey praised making the girl blush.

"That is impressive," Master Splinter commented.

"I am curious as to what gave you clues as to whom was whom," the sensei added curiously.

Maya's excitement dimmed a bit as she was caught off guard by Master Splinter. She looked as if she was trying to find the right words to explain herself before she looked up at the former human.

"Their eyes. Although Mikey did not tell this one the colour of them this one could tell by their eyes and what I learned from what Michelangelo has told me," the girl explained before turning to the brothers.

"Leonardo's eyes are observant and wise, they are the eyes of a leader. Donatello's eyes are full of endless curiosity and determination, they are the eyes of a person who never stops learning how things work. Raphael's eyes are watchful and full of passion, they are the eyes of a guardian," Maya explained innocently.

The layer fell into a silent shock as the Hamato family processed the words that had come out of the girl's mouth. It was then that they realized that perhaps their baby brother's friend wasn't so ordinary after all. Except for Mikey that is, the fun loving turtle stood with his arms crossed and a proud smirk on his face for his friend.

"Told you she was amazing bros," Mikey said smiling from ear to ear.

Before anyone could say anything else the orange masked turtle put his mask back on that he had been holding in his hand the whole time before walking up to Maya.

"Come on, let's go to my room. I've got gummy bear, Nutella and jalapeno week old pizza that you've gotta try," Mikey said before he grabbed Maya's hand and took off towards his room.

As Michelangelo and Maya took off giggling into the youngest turtle's room Master Splinter's ears shot up and the stern father in the rat came out full force.

"Michelangelo Hamato, I expect that door to stay open at all times. Do I make myself clear?" Master Splinter called up to his orange masked son.

Slowly the sensei heard the door open and the teen yell down, "Sorry."

As silence filled the living area the three remaining sons gave their father an odd look and he returned with a stern look of his own.

"They both may have the minds of children but they are still teenagers. I will not allow any of you to be unsupervised with a girl in this home with the door closed until I deem you responsible enough," Splinter explained in a tone of voice that left no room for argument.

Leonardo, Donatello and Raphael all gave their father a head nod before they all said at the same time, "Yes sensei."

Master Splinter nodded in return before he excused himself to go to his room for his evening tea leaving his sons in the living room. When he left Leonardo stood up and turned to his brothers with an approving smirk on his face.

"I like her," the oldest said in a matter of fact tone.

Donny nodded in agreement before he said, "there is definitely more to her then she lets on but nothing I would say is suspicious."

When Raph didn't say anything both the blue and purple masked brother looked at the hot head suspiciously expecting the worst to come out.

"She's no threat to us I'll give her that much…but I don't like that she knows so much about us from one look and we don't know jack shit about her other than her first name," Raph said in his usual gruff tone.

The red masked turtle had to admit Maya surprised him. It was the first time someone looked in his eyes and didn't see the rage. She didn't call him a bully or a hot head…she called him a guardian. He liked that, in his mind that's what he was trying to be for his family his whole life.

"Raph has a point," Leo said more he became quiet with a thoughtful.

Both brothers knew that look, it was Leo's famous thinking face. It was the look he got when he came up with his best on the spot plans. After a few minutes the oldest brother looked up and smirked indicating that he had an idea.

"Alright let's go," Leo said walking towards Mikey's room expecting his brothers to follow which they did without question.

When they got up to Mikey's room the brothers found the pair with comic books sprawled out across the floor and were drawing away in a couple of sketch books. Both looked up when they sensed they had an audience and didn't look surprised to see them.

"Hey guys glad you're here. We're trying to figure something out," Mikey said excitedly.

"Ok, what's up?" Donny said instantly going into mad scientist mode.

"What would look scarier as an enemy, a shaved bear that spits scalding venom or a flying giant spider that feeds off your fear?" Maya asked with complete seriousness.

Leonardo, Donatello and Raphael stared at the girl in complete horror before she explained, "it's for our comic we're creating."

"Well I'm not sleeping tonight?" Raph mumbled with a shudder.

"At least she didn't say cockroaches," Donny whispered to him.

"Of course you're both brilliant!" Maya exclaimed before turning to Michelangelo.

"What if the mad scientist combined the cockroach's body with the legs and eyes of a spider on the head of a shaved bear?" Maya said in one breath.

Mikey dropped his sketch book in amazement before he added, "then it could feed off fear, shoot scalding venom AND be near impossible to kill!"

Ralph looked like he was about to cry just imagining the damn thing as Leo gave his shoulder a comforting squeeze.

"So we were just wondering…if you guys aren't busy…do you want to hang out?" Leo asked.

"We'd like to get to know you better. Even if it's only a little," Donny added.

Mikey gave Maya a look and was about to say something when the girl held her hand up and stopped him by shaking her head.

She then turned to the brothers and asked, "What would you like to know?"

…

It had been a few hours since Maya arrived and it was almost time for patrol. When Master Splinter came out of his room he found it surprisingly quiet.

"Silence in this home is never good," the sensei mumbled to himself before he began to search for his sons.

Master Splinter smiled when he opened the door to the dojo and found Leonardo showing Maya one of the katas he had taught them while they were children. Raphael and Donatello chuckled to themselves watching as Michelangelo supported Maya's arm as she tried to balance on one leg with her hands folded.

"This is difficult," Maya chuckled.

"Don't worry. The first time Raph tried to do this he got rug burn on his forehead when he fell over," Mikey said earning him a growl from the older brother.

"My sons I am glad you are enjoying yourselves but the time has come for your patrol," Master Splinter said kindly.

All four boys groaned before they stood up to leave. Mikey pulled off his mask and walked over to Maya to put it on.

"I guess I better walk you home," Mikey said disappointed.

"Oh do not worry this one can get home you go on," Maya said politely.

The Hamato family gave her a strange look before Master Splinter said in surprise, "You know how you got here even with the blindfold on."

The girl nodded innocently before she felt something was wrong and said, "Oh I thought we were playing a surprise game. Was I not supposed to know how to get here?"

"You are good. I even took you the long way around to try and confuse you. You are _so _on my team next stealth training," Mikey said in amazement.

"Maya please. You have to understand, it's dangerous for us that people to know where we live. The safety of our family was not a responsibility we wanted to put on you," Master Splinter explained gently.

It dawned on Maya what they were trying to say to her and her expression looked devastated.

"This one is sorry…how does one fix this?" she replied desperately.

"You could always go run into that wall so you forget you were ever here," Raph said sarcastically.

Maya nodded to him with a look of determination before she started walking over to the wall at a quickened pace. Raph realized she what she was about to do and put his arm out to stop her.

"DON'T ACTUALLY DO IT! ARE YOU NUTS?!" the hot head screamed at her.

"You said-"

"Sarcasm May," Mikey interrupted her casually.

The girl suddenly looked sheepish before an idea came to her and she turned to Master Splinter looking excited.

"This one knows how to make it right," she said smiling.

"You will come to our home and meet this one's family," she said happily.

The Hamato family looked at the girl with uncertain expressions until Mikey ran over looking excited as he wrapped his arm around the girl.

"Great idea Maya!" Mikey shouted.

"Maya I do not know if this is wise choice," Splinter replied.

The girl only smiled at the sensei and said, "Please come."

Master Splinter was quiet for a moment but before he could reply Raph came over and said, "I'm in."

Leo nodded in approval along with Donny who were both more than happy to agree to meet Maya's family.

* * *

Alright guys that's all for now don't forget to review. Till next time everyone take care and Happy Easter :)


	5. Chapter 5

Oh my goodness you guys end of final semester ever is pure evil! At least it'll be worth it in the end doing something I like to do :) Anyway time to get anime-quuen off her soap box and get on with the chapter!

* * *

It had been a week since Maya had decided that the Hamato family absolutely had to come and meet her family. She had insisted upon it saying it was not just about showing fairness by knowing where each other lived but also about simply her wanting their families to meet each other and become friends. His sons had insisted that they agree to go especially after talk of a dinner was mentioned.

The sensei was brought out of his thoughts as his sons started heading out to search for more of the mutagen canisters. He frowned when he noticed his youngest with his nose stuck in a comic book as he followed after his older brothers.

Casually Master Splinter walked over to the orange turtle to catch him off guard by tripping the boy with his cane. The sensei was surprised himself however when Michelangelo silently jumped over the piece of wood and kept walking.

"Very good my son. It is nice to know you are paying attention sometimes," Master Splinter said.

"Ya sure…I play nice sometimes sensei," the teen replied completely not paying attention to what the rat had just said to him.

The remaining Hamato brothers shook their heads and sighed at how brainless their baby brother could be at times. Master Splinter rolled his eyes at his frustrating pupil. It was clear that Michelangelo had natural talent at martial arts where his brothers had to train harder to achieve their ninja abilities. It bothered the sensei to know that if his youngest would just apply himself to his training then he would be the strongest of his brothers. However he had to reluctantly admit that he also knew that Michelangelo's kind heart was not into this kind of lifestyle. No, the fun loving turtle needed sunlight, colour and love in his life to truly be happy which killed the former human for he knew he could never give his son the sun and colour that he craved.

_'Perhaps by allowing them to meet people and find acceptance I can offer my sons the humble gift of the opportunity to love' _Master Splinter thought.

"Why are we leaving so early again? It's like 5pm," Raph asked in a grumpy mood from waking up from a short nap he had taken.

"Day light savings," Leo replied bluntly.

"The days are shorter now so we have more time to look for mutagen canisters," the blue masked turtle explained.

Raph grumbled in reply as they made their way towards the exit.

"Remember my sons, stay out of sight. You must be extra cautious when going out at this time for just because the sun has set doesn't mean the day has ended," Master Splinter warned his four sons.

"Yes Sensei," all four turtles replied before leaving the lair to go search for the mutagen.

Soon after the boys left Master Splinter went into the dojo to meditate in the bliss that was the rare silence of his home. As much as it worried him when his sons went above to the human world he couldn't help but admit he relished the time he received in complete quiet while they were gone. Master Splinter had just finished relaxing his body letting his mind wander into a peaceful meditation when a noise startled him out of his trance.

"Hello?" a tiny voice called out into the lair.

Splinter quickly opened his eyes and turned his ears becoming suddenly alert when he realized he wasn't alone. Silently he stood up and walked out of the dojo cautious of the new guest when he quickly realized it was Maya and sighed in relief.

_'It must be Friday' _Master Splinter thought in amusement before walking up to the girl.

"Michelangelo," the girl called in a sing song voice.

"This one brought the puffs of cheese, the m candy and barbecue sauce for the pizza," the girl said out loud hoping her friend could hear her.

Master Splinter smirked and shook his head before he walked over to Maya and placed his hand on her shoulder. Suddenly the girl did something Master Splinter wasn't expecting. Her head shot up and the bag in her hand fell to the floor. The next thing the rat knew the tiny girl grabbed his arm and flipped Master Splinter over her shoulder and slammed him into the floor in front of her. The former human wasn't hurt but he was definitely stunned by what had just happened. He looked up at the teen in shock only to be met by a surprised expression from his attacker.

"Oh no Master Splinter this one is so sorry! Are you alright?" the girl cried horrified by her own actions.

The sensei took a minute to regain himself and gave his head a shake before he replied, "other than the fact that I was just taken down by a tiny girl I am fine."

Maya helped Master Splinter to his feet feeling unbelievably guilty that she had just done that. It scared her to think what Michelangelo and his brothers would say if they found out what she had done. Before she could imagine the worst case scenario Master Splinter squeezed her shoulder gently.

"Don't worry this will be our secret. I am not exactly dying to tell my sons that you over powered me," Splinter said in amusement in an attempt to make the girl relax.

"This one feels awful. Apologies again," the girl said.

Master Splinter chuckled before he said, "think nothing of it my child. I am actually more impressed than anything else."

"Really?" Maya said in shock giving the sensei a strange look.

"Of course...well it seems rude now but when first I met you I would not have suspected that you would know martial arts," the rat explained.

Maya suddenly became very quiet as a bashful expression crept its way onto her face. The girl suddenly found her hair very interesting and began fidgeting with it nervously.

"It is only a bit of self defense. This one really is not that strong compared to my brothers," Maya said before she gasped realizing what she had just said.

"You have brothers that is nothing to keep secret from me," Splinter said hiding his confusion about why the girl was suddenly troubled over mentioning her siblings.

"Please understand. Our family is not like others that live above…we are different," Maya explained.

Now more than ever Master Splinter was interested in finding out for himself what kind of people were in Maya's family. They were not mutants but they acted as though they had some kind of dark secret that they were hiding.

"I do understand Maya believe me I know a little something about families being different," Splinter explained gesturing to himself making Maya smile.

"My child we wish to know you but in order for that to work you must allow us to know you. That is how trust is born," Master Splinter explained gently.

Maya seemed to contemplate what the rat was saying before smiling up at him and giving him an understanding nod although he still sensed her fear.

"Now tell me, who taught you your skills?" Splinter asked as he led the tiny girl to the kitchen to make a cup of tea for them both.

As they walked the observant sensei noticed the distant look in the girl's eyes that suddenly appeared before she said, "Bo taught us…mother and father are important, many depend on them. So Bo taught Dylan and this one the skills that father taught him."

Splinter nodded as he listened carefully to the girl's tale. When they got to the kitchen Master Splinter quickly got to work boiling the water for the tea.

"Where are they now, your family?" Master Splinter asked as he sat down at the table with Maya to wait for the water to boil.

Maya suddenly looked a bit sad making Splinter quickly regret asking.

"They are far away…it is a long story," the silver haired teen replied quietly.

The former stopped asking questions at that point when he saw the girl's expression. It was sad, hurt and distant. This girl held her pain deep inside herself not wanting to expose it to anyone and suffered silently with whatever was bothering her. It reminded Splinter of himself after he lost everything he held dear in this cruel world. In that moment Splinter was a father and gently placed his paw as a comforting gesture to the young girl that held so much pain within.

"When you are ready I would very much like to hear that story," Splinter said gently making Maya smile.

The teenager was quiet for a moment as she gazed into the sensei's eyes before she said, "your eyes remind this one of father's eyes. Like yours his are full of pride, wisdom, love and pain."

Master Splinter was yet again caught off guard by the mystery that was the girl sitting in front of him. One minute she seemed naive with a wandering mind and the next she wise beyond her years and mature for her age.

"You have a talent for reading people through their eyes. An impressive skill to have for one so young," Splinter commented.

"Mikey says it's this one's super power," Maya giggled.

Splinter chuckled knowing his youngest would say something like that.

"His eyes are this one's favorite though by far," the girl said almost more to herself then Splinter.

"Is that so," the sensei replied curiously.

Maya nodded lighting up as the conversation turned around to be about her dear friend and in that moment Master Splinter was humbled to see how much this girl truly cared about his son.

"His eyes remind me of sunlight cutting through the darkness of ocean revealing all the beauty hiding in the shadowed water. They are happy, warm and filled to the brim with mischievousness," Maya explained as her smile grew.

"They are the eyes of this one's beloved friend…there is no one in the world with eyes like his," she added.

Master Splinter was truly moved by how Maya described Michelangelo and what he meant to her. It also made him feel slightly ashamed in himself. Like his other sons the sensei often underestimated Michelangelo's abilities and at times did not appreciate the role that he played in their lives. To this girl however, he was her treasure.

The sound of the kettle whistling surprised them both and Splinter quickly got up and prepared the tea before bringing the two steaming mugs to the table. As the sensei sat down, an idea struck him and a smile made its way to his face.

"Maya do you still have an interest in learning martial arts?" he asked the girl before he began sipping his tea.

…

"AHHH!"

Leo, Donny and Raph all turned around when they heard the scream only to see Mikey in the back of the shell raiser still reading his comic. The three brothers all sighed in irritation at their youngest and his lack of concentration.

"Hey Mikey start paying attention," Leo scolded as he continued to drive.

Raph walked over to where the orange masked turtle was sitting before he grabbed the comic and smacked it across the back of his younger brother's head before throwing it back at him.

"Hey watch it it's in near mint condition," Mikey whined.

"Seriously Mikey why do you keep reading these horror comics? All they do is freak you out and keep you up all night,"Raph complained.

"I was not up all night cause I was scared Raph…I was cleaning my grappling hook," the youngest replied in an obvious lie.

Before anyone could reply the purple masked turtle's detector started beeping intensely indicating that they had found what they were looking for.

"This is it Leo stop," Donny said before the blue masked turtle brought the vehicle to a stop.

The tech savvy turtle put a strange pair of goggles over his eyes and looked around the dark street before he quickly noticed a trail of mutagen.

"Ok guys let's go I see something," Donny said leading his brothers along the trail.

All four turtles jumped out one at a time with Mikey trailing behind still reading his comic book before following Donatello down the street until they got to a corner that had a pile of trash. As Michelangelo caught up he accidentally stepped on a bag of popcorn disturbing the silence of the night. The orange masked turtle looked down from the comic book and noticed the bag before looking up and smiling sheepishly at his brothers.

"Some ninja," Raph sneered at him.

"Hey I found something," Donny said as he pulled up the broken canister.

"It's only half the mutagen but it's better than nothing," the purple masked turtle said optimistically.

Soon another scream filled the air filled with terror and without a doubt the oldest three turtles turned to glare at their youngest brother who was still calmly reading his comic. Mikey felt them staring at him and calmly stared back at them.

"Wasn't me," he said before the scream sounded again filling the night.

All four brothers ran into the movie theater where they heard the scream and carefully searched it until they found where the scream was coming from. There was a homeless man terrified and crawling away from a squirrel of all things.

"Why the heck is this guy freaking out over a cute tiny little squirrel?" Raph asked.

Suddenly the tiny creature faced the four of them and roared at them with its tongue swishing back and forth. The four brothers all screamed and clung to each other in fear before the squirrel turned its attention back onto its victim. The squirrel ran at the terrified man before it dived straight into his mouth and down into his stomach. The homeless man quickly passed out and fell back onto the ground.

"Now can I scream in horror?" Mikey asked horrified.

"No," Donny said before turning to Leo.

"We can't just leave him here," the tech savvy turtle said to his oldest brother.

Leo sighed knowing that the only way to fix this was to bring him to the lair. Quickly he instructed Donny to grab the man's legs while he grabbed his arms to carry him to the truck.

"Guys this is a bad idea. This is how the aliens got onto the ship in my comic book," Mikey said in a worried tone.

"Can't believe I'm saying this but…Mikey's right," Raph said earning him strange looks from both Donny and Leo.

"About the guy not the comic book! Master Splinter is gonna kill us for this," the red masked turtle explained.

"We don't have a choice alright. He's a got a mutated squirrel in his stomach and he need to figure out how to get it out of him. Let me deal with Splinter," Leo explained as he helped Donny get the homeless man into the subway car.

…

"Master Splinter I can explain," Leo said to his silently furious sensei as his brothers carried the homeless man into the lab.

"Yes. Please explain why there is a stranger in our _secret _lair," Splinter demanded.

As Leo explained what happened Donny, Raph and Mikey quickly brought the man into Donny's lab and laid him on the table. Maya who had been still having tea with Master Splinter came in to watch what was going on. Immediately she walked over to Mikey who was looking intently into a horror comic book about something called aliens.

"What has happened?" Maya asked as she stared at the unconscious man.

"Oh ya that dude swallowed a mutant squirrel and Donny decided he needed to play mad scientist," the fun loving turtle replied nonchalantly.

"That doesn't seem like a wise decision to bring him here. What if the alien gets out?" the tiny girl asked innocently.

Donny and Raph who had been over hearing the two talk suddenly looked up at each other as Leo walked back into the lab.

"Ok let's do this quickly. We need to get this guy out of here before Master Splinter finishes meditating," Leo said as he walked over to Donny and his computer. The purple masked turtle nodded before he quickly went to work.

"Working on the internal scan now," Donny replied as he continued to work.

Raph had moved back to give Don room to work and stood closer to Mikey and Maya who were now both looking intensely into the comic book. Mikey noticed Raph staring at them and slid over to his older brother to show him the comic.

"So wanna guess what happens next in my comic?" Mikey asked smugly as the picture of the man on the operating table with a swollen stomach matched the view of the homeless man on Donny's table.

With a growl Raph picked up his brother's comic and crushed in his hands before throwing it to the ground mercilessly. He then proceeded to walk away to get something to eat ignoring his brother's complaining about how his comic was now messed up.

"Here we go guys and…yup still in there," Donny said as the screen lit up and the x-ray of the man's stomach appeared on the screen.

Donny, Leo, Maya and Mikey all stared at the screen in absolute shock as Raphael came back into the lab carrying a bag of popcorn in his hand.

"Woah," Leo said in amazement.

"Does it have two heads," Mikey asked confused.

Maya simply gasped in amazement before she exclaimed, "you can see inside his stomach!"

All four brothers stared strangely at the girl who kept looking back and forth between the man and the computer screen.

"Donatello is amazing to be able to do such things," she commented in genuine amazement making the tech savvy turtle blush.

Before anyone else could question Maya on her lack of tech knowledge, the homeless man suddenly shot up speaking nonsense.

"I think that freaky squirrel made him nutty," Leo said concerned for the guy's well being.

"Don't sweat it Leo I got this," Mikey said confidently.

Then the orange masked turtle leaned over to his friend and added, "I speak fluent crazy."

Mikey listened to the man rant for a few minutes before he translated that the squirrel drank some of the mutagen and had been following him around for a few days but he was totally ok. Shortly after however the man began convulsing on the table before he sat up and puked out two squirrels from his mouth.

Silence filled the layer as everyone stared in shock at the two squirrels who stared back at them with unreadable expressions.

"I can't believe this they multiply inside the host…their like a single cell organism," Donny said in amazement.

"Just like in my comic book! Except in this the alien shoots of the victim's butt," Mikey explained.

"That doesn't sound enjoyable either way," Maya commented looking grossed out by the two squirrels.

Suddenly the crazy homeless man jumped off Donny's table and ran out of the lab screaming about leprechauns.

"I'll see our guest to the door," Raph said calmly before following after him.

He left behind his bag of popcorn which the two squirrels took advantage of and began eating it. The remaining three turtles and Maya all stared at them for a few minutes before Leo and Donny began approaching the furry monsters to capture them. Unfortunately for them the squirrels caught on fast and soon they were all chasing the squirrels all over the living area.

Raph walked back into the room to see his brothers and Maya trying to chase the squirrels all over the place. He sighed before trying to help them catch the squirrels. Both of the squirrels managed to get away from their would-be captors and split up to escape.

While attempting to knock out the one squirrel Donny quickly found himself with a mutant squirrel at the end of his staff and tried desperately to shake it off. When the creature started running up the staff towards the purple masked turtle, Donny threw the stick away in order to save himself. The turtle was relieved for only a moment until he realized the squirrel was headed straight for Maya.

Mikey who had been chasing the other squirrel on his skate board hit a pipe and face planted into the ground. As he sat up his eyes shot open with worry as he watched what was about to happen and did the only thing he could do. At first he was reluctant knowing it could jeopardize Maya's secret but protecting his family, friends and pizza came before any promise.

"Maya! Bogey mutant squirrel at 3 o'clock!" Mikey shouted to her.

The tiny girl quickly turned to where her friend was referring to and was shocked to see the squirrel coming at her. With a yelp Maya instinctively used quick reflexes to catch the furry mutant in mid-air only inches from her face. The four turtles could only stare in amazement and shock at what they just saw as the girl struggled with the squirrel in her grasp. It wasn't until they saw the other squirrel disappear near Mikey's room that anyone bothered to move.

"Hey you little nut lover! Stay away from my room!" Mikey shouted running after the squirrel followed by Raph.

Donny and Leo dashed towards Maya to help her with her furry captive when a bang made them jump and they all turned to see Master Splinter.

"What is going on in here? I was in a deep meditative trance!" he demanded but stopped when he found the source of the disturbance.

He saw his two sons helping Maya hold on to a squirrel and instantly raised an eyebrow at all of them in irritation.

"Should have gone into a deeper trance," he mumbled to himself before Donny and Leo explained what had been happening.

…

Mikey and Raph searched desperately through the tornado that was the fun loving turtle's room but the squirrel was doing a fine job of hiding from the brothers. As they searched Raph couldn't help thinking about what he had just seen Maya do. There is no way any normal non trained human could just have reflexes like that. The red masked turtle turned to his brother who was trying to use pizza to bait the squirrel out of hiding which was admittedly not Mikey's stupidest idea.

"Yoh Mikey I gotta ask ya man-" Raph started but was quickly cut off by his baby brother.

"Raph I know what you're gonna ask but the legend of Michelangelo's epic tighty whities is a story for another day. Let's focus on the squirrels right now, comprende?" Mikey said before returning to his task.

"Here squirrelly squirrely…got some four day old peperoni, jellybean and maple syrup pizza just for you," the orange masked turtle said in a sing song voice.

"Mikey I'm serious. What the hell was that with Maya? Is she like part cat or something? Not even April has reflexes like that and she's been training with Master Splinter," Raph said.

The orange masked turtle stopped before looking with a conflicted expression on his face. Mikey opened his mouth as if he wanted to say something but stopped himself before closing it again.

"I can't bro…not my secret to tell," Mikey replied sadly.

Raph felt like he had taken a slap to the face when he heard those words coming out of his baby brother's mouth. Secrets? They weren't supposed to have secrets it was bro code. Especially not between him and Mikey, they were supposed to be best friends.

"You're…you're deliberately keeping secrets from me Mike? I don't get it man we tell each other everything," Raph replied sounding hurt.

Mikey instantly looked guilty and quickly explained, "you gotta understand man she's scared. You're right about her being kinda different than most people but she's just starting to trust all of us. Just give her time, she wants to tell you guys."

Raph seemed like he was taking a minute to think it over but sighed in defeat when his brother gave him the puppy eyes. He didn't like this but he didn't like the idea of forcing the girl to tell them what the hell was going on and end up making her more afraid.

"Alright fine I'll let this go only because _you _say she'll talk soon but I still don't like her making you keep secrets from your own family,"Raph said.

"Thanks Raph," Mikey replied with a relieved smile.

Suddenly a noise caught their attention and their prey scratching around on one of Mikey's shelves. Raph wasted no time jumping onto his brother's bed and stabbing one of his Sais into the shelf to get the squirrel.

"Aww Raph you stabbed my limited edition unicorn man," Mikey pouted when he saw his action figured stabbed on to his brother's sai.

The squirrel quickly escaped landing on the floor followed by Raph stabbing his weapons at the creature. Unexpectedly the mutant squirrel jumped onto Raph's hand and ran up his arm before forcing his way down the red masked turtle's throat.

"Raph!" Mikey cried in horror as he watched the scene unfold.

* * *

Alright folks that's it for now! If any of you have read previous stories I LOVE cliffhangers *cue evil laugh* Anyway feel free to message about what you think is up with Maya? I'm curious about what you guys think of her so far. Don't forget to review and thank you all for following and favoriting this story along with the reviews :)


	6. Chapter 6

Hello again everyone I hope you are all enjoying this as much as I am enjoying writing it :) Cannot wait until I can update more often then I have been but anyways on with the story

* * *

Raphael was understandably freaked out beyond anything he had ever felt in his entire life. He was currently chained to the table in his brother's lab squirming as he felt the unwelcome guests in his stomach crawling around.

"Man do something I can feel them munching on the popcorn I ate and it's freaking me out," Raph said almost whining.

"This is the part in my comic where the aliens are eating the insides of their victims," Mikey commented nonchalantly.

"Not helping Mikey!" Donny said before turning to Raph as he placed a stethoscope on his stomach.

"_You _need to stop talking cause I can't hear what's going on in there," Donny said as he tried to listen.

"GET 'EM OUT! GET 'EM OUT! GET 'EM OUT!" Raph cried refusing to listen to his brother.

Maya winced as the loud shouting hurt her ears before she said, "you sound like Isla when she was in labor with Caspian."

Suddenly an idea popped into her head and she quickly went to Raph's side putting her face in front of his to make sure she had his undivided attention.

"Raphael you must focus. Copy this one's breathing to calm down long enough for Donatello to help you," Maya said in a tone that left no room for argument.

It took a second for Raph to get over the shock of the meek girl suddenly taking control of the situation before he nodded. He watched the small girl take deep breathes before he started copying the movement not even caring that the girl was holding his hand. Donny took advantage of his brother being distracted to listen for the squirrels inside his brother's stomach.

As Raph continued to breath he noticed that Donny looked like he was trying to hold in his laughter. As he looked over at Leo, he noticed that he too was trying not to burst out laughing. Finally the hot head couldn't contain his irritation anymore.

"What the hell are you two laughing at?" he demanded angrily.

Donny and Leo couldn't hold it in anymore and burst out laughing hysterically. Mikey and Maya looked confused while Raph just looked pissed off.

"Sorry Raph…it's just that…you've got things growing in your stomach and Maya's got you doing….Lamaze breathing," Donny said sending him and Leo into another round of gut wrenching laughter.

The hot red growled angrily before turning his head to the girl beside him looking absolutely furious with her for embarrassing him.

"Do I look like I'm having a baby to you!" he screamed at her.

Maya winced at the tone of Raph's voice before looking at him unsure and asked hesitantly, "…is that a trick question?"

Suddenly three of the turtles were almost on the floor laughing their butts off while Raph growled furiously at his breathing coach. The hot head was about to scream at Maya more when he suddenly felt searing pain coming from his abdomen and his body started convulsing. Donatello was at his side in an instant in full doctor mode.

"Raph talk to me what's going on?" the purple masked turtle demanded.

"H-hurts," was all Raph could whimper out he began tossing and turning in pain.

Everyone stood in shock not knowing what to do for the poor turtle. Mikey skimmed quickly through his comic before a look of shock crossed his face and his head shot up instantly.

"Bros prepare for grossness," Mikey warned as he got himself out of range.

Suddenly Raph's body stopped convulsing and he sat up and hurled sending two slimy fur balls hurling across the laboratory. The expressions of everyone's face went from shock and concern to just plain grossed out.

"Congratulations Raph, its twins!" Donny said casually as he undid Raph's restraints making his brother growl at him.

Before Raph could say anything the power throughout the entire lairr suddenly went out and the squirrels began to give off an ominous green glow. All five of the teenagers stood closer together as the furry mutants began screaming at them and started glowing brighter.

"Glowing is bad! Glowing is really, really bad!" Mikey cried.

"Donny some sciencey stuff would be really great right about now," Leo said admittedly getting a little scared by what was happening.

A bang brought their attention to the doorway and for a moment they were all relieved to see it was Master Splinter looking a little frazzled.

"So it is happening here as well," he commented relieved to see the children unharmed.

That relief soon disappeared as the squirrels did as well. The now glowing mutants spread out and disappeared into the lair followed by the Hamato family and Maya. When they got to the living room they all stood in a circle with their backs to each other as they heard the squirrels running around their home.

"Split up and search," Splinter commanded to his sons.

"You must not read comic books either Sensei. Splitting up is always a really bad idea," Mikey argued back.

"Enough! You are trained ninjas now go. Maya you will stay by my side," Splinter replied.

Maya looked conflicted as she looked between Michelangelo and Master Splinter. She looked as though she was debating on saying something and it dawned on the rat that girl was worried for his youngest son. Michelangelo tried to give her a confident smirk before he disappeared with the others but the fear in his eyes was clear as day.

"Do not worry. Michelangelo is a strong ninja and his brothers will not be far from him," Splinter reassured the girl as he guided her down a hallway.

…

Michelangelo couldn't stop worrying about Maya as he searched throughout the lair. He knew nothing bad would ever happen to her while she was with his father but he couldn't shake the gnawing feeling in his gut.

Noises distracted the youngest turtle from his thoughts and he cautiously traveled to where the bedrooms were. He slowly began checking inside Donny's room listening intently for any sounds of movement. When he dubbed the coast was clear Mikey slowly backed away from the room until his shell bumped into something. He screamed in surprise and turned around to see it was Raph who was looking just as frazzled as he was.

"Mikey! Don't do that!" Raph hissed at his little brother.

Before Mikey could apologize a strange noise filled the hallway and the orange masked turtle started to look a little nervous.

"There was a sound just like that in my comic book when the baby aliens turned into full size aliennoids," Mikey said sounding nervous.

Raph sighed and rolled his eyes before he replied, "you _read_ it Mikey. How could you _hear _what the aliens sounded like?"

Suddenly fluid dripped from the ceiling as the growling got louder making both brothers go back to back to cover each other from whatever was about to come at them. At first neither turtle saw anything until they both felt hot breath going down the back of their necks. Quickly they turned around and were shocked at what they were seeing.

"They've turned into…SQUIRRELANOIDS!" Mikey shouted before Raph grabbed his arm and took off down the hall away from the two mutants.

When they got back into the living room Leo and Donny were already each fighting off one of the squirrelanoids. The boys desperately fought to take down the mutants but were quickly cornered by the three. One of the glowing monsters opened its mouth to reveal what looked like a mini alien that shot out at them. The four brothers stood in shock not knowing what to do when out of nowhere Splinter appeared and knocked the creature back. Soon he was fighting all three of the creatures until they disappeared into the water.

Maya ran out from the spot Master Splinter had left her and ran over to Mikey throwing her arms around him. She was relieved that her friend was safe. It surprised the other turtles to see someone treat one of them with such affection.

"This one is relieved you are alright," she said.

"Oh come on girl. It's gonna take a little more than an alien squirrel to take down the might Michelangelo," the fun loving turtle said in a confident tone.

"It's not over yet, we need to go after them. Those waters lead to the surface and if those things go top side people might get hurt," Leo said.

"I agree you boys go…Maya will stay here with me and I will defend the lair if they return," Splinter said.

"All alone…down creepy dark sewer tunnels," Mikey questioned and the rest of the brothers couldn't help looking just as nervous.

Splinter sighed at the way his sons were behaving. He would have to give them a little more encouragement to go into the sewers. Glancing over at Maya the rat smirked as a plan formed in his head to use their prides against them.

"My sons I have trained you since you were young for moments such as these. Who among you will show Maya what it means to be bravest, the strongest of will, the worthiest of ninja," Splinter said.

At first none of his sons did anything until Donatello came up with an idea and ran to his room but returning soon after carrying metal head. The tech savvy turtle had a victorious grin on his face as he explained that he would send metal head. Master Splinter shook his head as his plan backfired on him and soon Metal head was out searching for the mutant creatures.

Donatello looked proud of himself as he controlled Metal head's movements with a game controller and used the tv screen to look through his eyes.

"Ya see Maya sometimes all it takes is just using your head," Donny said looking over to the girl who seemed very impressed.

"Impressive Donatello but what will happen when Metal head finds the squirrelanoids?" Maya asked.

"Yes, Donatello tell us. Does your little metal friend know ninjitsu?" Master Splinter asked with mock innocence.

Donatello continued to face the screen refusing to show his father how much that question irritated him as he replied, "as a matter of fact I've programmed Metal head to attack any enemies he sees."

Just as he said that the shadow of one of the squirrelanoids stood behind the tiny robot before the mutant ripped off its head. The last thing the camera showed was the body of Metal head flailing around before dropping to the ground. Everyone including Master Splinter were shocked into silence by the vicious attack of the creatures.

"I don't think he saw that one coming Donny," Raph said finally.

Donny flung himself at the television screen and said, "Don't worry Metal head I'll make you all better."

Calmly Master Splinter stroked his beard and said, "I do not wish to say I told you so but…I told you so."

Slowly the four ninja turtles turned to their father looking embarrassed before he raised an eyebrow at them and said, "Shall we try plan B."

…

It had been a while since the four brothers had left and the whole time Maya had been feeling very unsettled. The girl had paced the perimeter of the sunken living room since their departure with Master Splinter silently observing her.

"Are you alright child?" Splinter asked her finally.

"Something isn't right…this one's instinct is telling her that something bad is going to happen. This one should have gone with the others," Maya said anxiously.

Splinter squinted his eyes in confusion at the girl before he said gently, "What is it exactly that you think you will be able to do to stop something bad from happening?"

Maya stopped pacing and just stared at Master Splinter caught off guard by the question. Before she could answer Michelangelo came barreling into the lair and rushed into Donny's lab before quickly returning with the bag of popcorn from before.

"Is this really the time for a snack my son," Splinter said looking annoyed at his youngest.

"Don't worry sensei I've got everything under control," Mikey said before darting off back where he came from down the dark sewers.

Maya stared at her friend's disappearing form before slowly turning her nervous gaze to Master Splinter who had an unreadable expression on his face.

"Master Splinter," Maya said quietly.

"Yes child," he replied calmly.

"That feeling just got worse," she explained.

…

Michelangelo ran though the sewers until he returned to the place where he left his brothers with the squirrelanoids. The orange masked turtle whimpered as he hesitated to go through with his plan, but when he saw his brothers defeated by the giant mutants he pushed past hid fears knowing what he needed to do.

Mikey took a deep breath and shouted, "Hey glow heads!"

The three creatures all turned their heads to look at Michelangelo who was happily munching on some popcorn. A smile spread on his face when he saw he had their attention and held the bag of popcorn over his head.

"Want some?" the turtle offered before running down the hallway for his life.

The youngest turtle screamed in fear as he ran through the sewers scared out of his mind hoping that his plan would work. He ran until he came to one of the rooms where he knew one of the septic tanks hadn't been emptied. He quickly ran to the far side of the room until he got to the crank.

The little turtle swallowed his fear as he saw all three squirrelanoids staring at him menacingly. Hesitantly Mikey held out the bag of popcorn and gave it a temping shake to bait the creatures into wanting it.

"Come and get it," he said nervously before throwing the popcorn into the water.

Mikey watched as all three of the squirrelanoids dove after the popcorn. When he knew they were to distracted to notice him he quickly turned the crank all the way to the left before running as fast as he could to the exit.

…

Leo, Raph and Donny hurried to catch up to their youngest brother and the squirrelanoids. They only hoped they could make it before Mikey did something that would get himself in more trouble than they already were in.

"How far did he go?" Donny asked in between pants as they ran.

"Dunno but we gotta be close I can hear the squirrelanoids," Raph replied.

Leo was silent as he seemed to be concentrating on something as they moved when he suddenly said, "I hear fast currents of water…Mikey lured them to the septic tanks."

The idea of their baby brother near mutant squirrels and water made them all nervous and none of them wasted anytime running faster to get to their youngest.

"BOOYAKASHA!" they heard coming from where the septic tank was and were relieved when they saw Mikey standing over the tank with no mutant squirrels in sight.

However it didn't last long when an appendage of one of the squirrelanoids shot up and wrapped itself around their baby brother before pulling him into the water.

"MIKEY!" the turtles shouted before they ran as fast as they could to the septic tank.

Leo, Raph and Donny all frantically searched for the orange masked turtle but when he didn't come up for air they knew they needed to act fast.

"Donny grab my legs. I'm going after him," Raph said.

The tech savvy turtle nodded but before any of them could actually do anything the sounds of footsteps hitting concrete could be heard over the water. Leo, Raph and Donny all looked at each other confused until a blur ran past them and dived into the water leaving the three turtles frozen in shock.

"Anybody else just see a naked lady run past," Raph said after a seconds.

"That was Maya, we have to hurry and get them out of there!" Leo cried before three burst into action.

…

Maya had run out of the lair before Master Splinter had a chance to stop her. The girl was a fast runner and she would not stop until she knew her friend was safe. She had no idea where she was going but she could feel Michelangelo's presence near her and let her instincts navigate her through the sewers.

Her breathing hitched when she heard the sounds of rushing water and the screams of the mutant creatures. Maya was scared, if those creatures took Mikey under she would have no choice but to reveal herself.

_'He is worth the risk. If it means that Michelangelo will be safe then this one will do what needs to be done' _the girl thought to herself as she ran.

A frightened scream filled the silence of the sewers which Maya quickly recognized as Michelangelo's. She stopped only for a second to take off her boots, socks, pants and underwear in one quick motion before running as fast as she could through the tunnels.

As she continued she threw her shirt off over her head and then her bra before she reached a small room where the other turtles already were. Without a second thought Maya took a nervous breath before running past them and dove into the water where she knew her friend was.

When Maya's body hit the water she immediately felt her true form returning to her. Her hair disappeared and was replaced by a long dark grey fin that went from the top of her head all the way down her back. Her dark tanned skin became bluish grey as thin skin grew between her fingers and slits formed in her neck. Her legs seemed to morph into each other as her feet disappeared entirely and were replaced by a curved fin.

Maya was too busy searching for her friend to care about her body's transformation. It didn't take her long to see Michelangelo's being held under by the mutant squirrel creature.

_'Mikey!' _she screamed as she swam as fast as she could towards her friend.

The nails on Maya's hands seemed to grow and sharpen before she slashed at the squirrelanoids cutting the creature's appendage right off making it scream in pain. Wasting no time Maya removed the now dead body part and wrapped her arms under Mikey's armpits.

After quickly looking over her friend she saw that he wasn't doing well with his half lidded eyes staring at her blankly. Maya held the turtle close to her chest as she swam against the current towards the surface. She was so focused on holding Mikey with one arm while swimming with the other that she was startled when a hand wrapped around hers and pulled her up.

"Gotcha," the owner of the voice said before he gasped.

Maya looked up in surprise and saw that it was Raphael holding her hand tightly looking back at her with terrified eyes. Leonardo also looked completely shocked to see Maya looking completely different then she did before. Donatello's expression was a mixture of fascination and concentration on holding on to his older brother's legs.

Before anyone could say anything one of the squirrelanoids jumped up in an attempt to attack Maya and Mikey. However the girl had no patience left for these mutant beasts and used her strong tail to smack it in the face sending it flying into the concrete wall before it fell back into the water and was taken away by the current. Soon the water emptied from the septic tank and all that was left behind of the squirrelanoids was the dent in the concrete wall.

"Hold on guys," Leo said as he pulled all five of them back onto the ledge.

One at a time he pulled each of his brothers up until it was Raph holding onto to Maya who still had a death grip on Michelangelo. With one hand Maya lifted the youngest brother up the ledge towards Donny. When she was sure that the purple masked turtle had a good grip on her friend she let go and grabbed onto Raph's other hand.

Raph quickly scooped up Maya and set her down before he ran to Mikey's side to make sure he was ok. The brothers watched in anticipation as their baby brother rolled over and spit up all the water that formed in his lungs while Donny patted his shell. After a few minutes the orange masked turtle sat up and looked around frantically.

"Where's Maya?" hasked with a hoarse voice.

The other turtles quickly looked behind them to see that the girl was nowhere in sight before Leo called out for her but received no answer.

"Ok seriously she couldn't have gone far she's got no legs," Raph said earning himself a glare from all of his brothers.

Leo walked around in search of the girl when he heard a scared whimper over by the entrance. He quickly went over and discovered Maya hiding behind the wall looking terrified. Slowly the oldest turtle walked and knelt down in front of her.

"I take it this was the big secret you were hiding from us," Leo said gently.

Maya only nodded and pushed herself up until she was leaning her back against the wall and curled her tail against herself.

"Hey its okay. You know we aren't going to hurt you," the blue masked turtle added.

_'That was before I had webbed hands' _the girl replied but she didn't move her mouth.

"True but tha- Wait? Are…are you talking to me in my head right now?" Leo asked in shock.

Hesitantly Maya nodded again before she said _'we have many gifts.'_

Leo was a little freaked out to say the least but seeing the girl look so scared made the oldest turtle go into big brother mode.

"Maya look at me," he said sternly before the girl hesitantly obeyed.

"I know it's scary but please trust us. You have my word that as long as we're around nobody is going to hurt you alright," Leo said.

After a few minutes of thinking about it Maya looked up at Leo and smiled brightly. She looked as though she was going to say something when Mikey could be heard around the corner.

"Leo did you find her? ...Maaaaaaayyaaaaaaaaa I've got a booboo….I need hugs," the turtle said in a whiny tone.

"You got a sliver Mikey," Donny deadpanned.

"IT'S A HUGE SLIVER BRO," the youngest argued.

Leo shook his head at his youngest brother when a felt a tap on his shoulder and turned his attention back to Maya.

_'Would you mind?' _Maya asked holding out her arms to the oldest of the turtles.

Leo smiled and shook his head before he replied, "not at all."

Gently he scooped the girl up into his arms and carried her over to the rest of his brothers who were all staring at them. Donny and Raph just looked shocked at the appearance of the girl while Mikey's face lit up and held his arms out waiting for his hugs.

"My knight in shining fins has arrived!" Mikey shouted happily as Leo carried Maya over and sat her beside the orange masked turtle who quickly hugged her to his plastron.

"I'm sorry. I know you weren't ready to show them yet," the orange masked turtle replied sadly.

_'As long as you are safe it is fine' _the girl replied hugging her friend back.

"I'm seeing it but I don't believe it…an actual mermaid," Donny said in amazement.

"Why can't we ever make any normal friends?" Raph joked.

Maya looked up at Raph with her head tilted to the side and a confused look on her face before she asked, _'What is normal?'_

"GAH! What the hell?" the hot head said backing away from the girl.

"It's how she communicates Raph," Leo explained.

"What is he talking about?" Donny asked.

_'Mermaids can communicate through mind links' _Maya explained to him before Donny yelped in surprise.

"Why can't you just talk like you normally would?" Raph asked sounding calmer.

Maya just shrugged her shoulders and shook her head indicating that she really wasn't sure herself.

"Come on guys give it a rest we should probably get back to lair," Leo said walking towards the entrance.

Everyone nodded in agreement before Mikey stood up and picked up Maya to carry her back to their home.

…

Master Splinter paced his home as he waited for his sons to return hopefully with Maya as well. He had only disappeared into his room for a moment to grab something when she took off and he could not find her scent to follow after her.

He stopped when he heard the sounds of footsteps and quickly went to the entrance to see the teenagers unharmed to his relief. However he quickly became shocked at the sight before him and sighed when he saw the girl is his youngest son's arms.

Leondardo and Donatello were blushing as one held a shirt and bra and the other held pants and underwear. Raphael looked amused at his brothers as he held a pair of boots with socks sticking out of them.

"Do I even want to know?" Master Splinter asked almost afraid to hear this story.

* * *

Tada! Maya is a mermaid! Things should be getting a lot more interesting from now on. I based the mermaid appearance on the concept from the animal planet mermaid documentary which is amazing if you ever get the chance to watch it! Don't forget to review and tell me what you think. love the idea? hate the idea? Thanks again to all who like this story so much I write it for you :) Take care readers


	7. Chapter 7

Weeellll now look at me having time to update my stories more then once a week. Whose got two thumbs and is excited about having more free time...this girl. Anyway glad to see people are reading this but I really would love to hear from people to see what people think so far, anyway on with the story!

* * *

"…And that's why Maya is naked," Mikey concluded as he finished telling his father the story of what had happened to the squirrelanoids and Maya.

"I see," Splinter said trying to remain serious as he listened to the tale.

Maya silently giggled at her friend's version of what happened as she used the towels to dry off her neck enough to be able to create her human disguise. The girl was laid out on the couch while the brothers kneeled with their backs to her with blushes on their faces except for Mikey. The three oldest turtles already had enough of an awkward experience picking up Maya's panties and bra, they were in no rush to see her naked as a human again. The orange masked turtle however was unreasonably calm about his friend stripping naked and becoming half fish as far as they were concerned.

"I must admit this explains a few things," Master Splinter said as he recalled catching the girl trying to bite the water coming out of the faucet in the kitchen and Maya's impressive tracking skills.

"Do not take this the wrong way but…how long will it be until you are human again?" the rat asked the girl with a raised eyebrow.

"Almost done. The transformation won't work until this one's gills dry out and the lungs begin taking in oxygen," she explained.

Donny's head whipped around to face her so fast Master Splinter thought his son was going to break his neck from the speed.

"You have gills _and _lungs? Incredible...You have got to let me study your anatomy and biology!" the tech savvy turtle exclaimed in excitement.

Mikey glared at his older brother before he punched him in the arm catching the purple masked turtle off guard.

"Hey what gives?" Donny demanded rubbing his arm.

"Dude this is why you're single! You don't just walk up to a girl and demand her to let you study her anatothing. That's personal stuff man at least buy the girl dinner!" Mikey scolded.

Donny couldn't help looking embarrassed with his baby brother glaring at him seriously and his older brothers trying desperately not to laugh from behind him. Master Splinter shook his head as he pinched the bridge of his nose.

"Mike...I meant I want to ask her questions about her species like what do mermaids eat and how their family units are made up. Not…personal stuff," Donny explained feeling hot under the shell.

Maya beamed from her spot on the couch before she replied, "This one would be happy to answer questions for you Donatello."

The purple masked turtle turned his attention back to Maya to thank her when he was shocked to see she was back to being human…and nothing covering her up.

"AHH" Donny said turning to face Master Splinter blushing like crazy.

"What is wrong?" Maya asked innocently at the turtles' reaction as they all faced their father flushed with discomfort.

With his gaze to the floor the sensei gently said, "Maya I think you are dry."

"You are all upset that I am dry?" Maya replied confused.

Ever the straightforward turtle, Mikey turned to face his friend completely unbothered by her lack of clothing.

"They want you to put your clothes back on. Seeing you naked is weirding them out," Mikey explained calmly before Splinter walked up behind him and forcibly turned the turtle's head towards the wall.

"Why should you all be uncomfortable? Aren't you all naked right now?" the girl asked as she dressed herself.

Suddenly all the Hamato family except Mikey were mind blown by the question. It was as if they had just realized that the turtles never wore clothes. Mikey just stared at the wall and shrugged at his head, not really sure what everybody's problem was.

"My son…I take it this isn't the first time you've seen Maya undressed?" Master Splinter asked Mikey trying desperately not to jump to conclusions.

"Nope," the turtle replied popping the end of the word.

Leo, Raph and Donny all looked like their eyes were going to fall out of their heads while their father continued to try and remain calm as he took deep breathes.

"Explain," Splinter demanded.

Ignorant to why his family was all on edge the youngest turtle looked up at his father innocently before he told his story.

**_Flashback_**

_Mikey had just arrived at the apartment climbing in through the fire escape that was located in Caspian's room. The turtle was re-locking the window when a tiny giggle caught his attention and he turned to see the nine month old baby crawling towards with a big gummy smile. _

_"Hey little buddy," Mikey said lifting the baby up into his arms as his mother walked into the bedroom._

_The orange masked turtle cradled the baby in his arms as he dramatically began sniffing his ticklish neck and belly._

_"Nine months old and he still has that new baby smell. I love it!" Mikey shouted with glee as contagious baby belly laughs erupted from the infant._

_"This one is glad you love Caspian's soap so much. You may use some if you wish to have a bath Michelangelo," the woman said in an amused tone._

_"Maybe next time Isla…Maya and I have some serious comic book business to get to," Mikey replied trying to look serious._

_Isla chuckled before she replied, "well first this one believes there is some business to be attended to."_

_Mikey immediately went serious for real before he asked, "everything ok? Where's Maya?"_

_"Everything is fine child. She wishes for you to go to her in the bathroom," Isla explained gently before taking her child from the turtle and going to the bedroom she shared with Maya._

_Mikey watched them leave with a confused expression before he made his way to the bathroom and knocked on the closed door._

_"Uh Maya you in there?" Mikey called._

_It was silent and tense for a few minutes before Maya's quiet voice replied '_Please come in.'

_Maya's voice sounded strange, like she was standing beside him and whispering in his ear. Without thinking twice Mikey strolled into the bathroom but quickly became confused when he didn't see Maya anywhere in sight. He took a minute to look around before he realized that his friend was in the bathtub with the curtain drawn closed. _

_"Maya why are you hiding in the tub?" Mikey asked before he pulled back the curtain and gasped in surprise._

_"Woh," he said in shock._

_There was Maya with a tail replacing her legs and a long sleek fin replacing her long silver hair. For a moment Mikey couldn't move as he slowly processed the information in his head that his friend was a mermaid. Then he looked over and stared into Maya's terrified eyes, she waited anxiously to see what he would do or say._

'Mikey?'_ the girl asked._

_The turtle seemed to shake himself out of his daze before he looked at Maya and said, "I think I missed something."_

_Maya smiled and shook her head before she replied '_this is what this one is supposed to look like...we are what the humans call mermaids. This one was moved when you acted as a true friend and showed her the real you, now this one will be brave also and show you the real her…you do still want to be this one's friend don't you?'

_The orange masked turtle smiled and kneeled down until and put his hands on the ledge of the bathtub before he rubbed his hand on her now bald head. There was never a question in his mind whether or not Maya was his friend, she could have turned into a rock lobster for all he cared as long as it was still her._

_"Sorry bra…you can't get rid of me that easy. When the Mikester makes a friend he makes them for life," the orange masked turtle explained with a big smile on his face._

_"Even with no hair and webbed hands?" Maya asked as she showed Mikey the thin skin between her fingers._

_"Ya son! You and me will be bald besties," Mikey said grinning from ear to ear._

_Maya beamed as she lifted herself out of the tub enough to be able to wrap her arms around her friend's neck and pull him into a hug. Mikey quickly returned the hug and the two sat like that for a while in absolute bliss to finally find someone to care about that returned the feelings._

**_End of Flashback_**

"…And that's the story of the first time I saw Maya naked. That was like the second or third night Master Splinter let me go over to her house" Mikey concluded.

The Hamato family was silent as they all listened to the tale. Their youngest had surprised them all by his ability to simply accept people as they were. All of the brothers had been shocked by Maya's appearance but where they were admittedly a bit afraid of the creature the girl had become Mikey only saw his best friend in the whole world.

"That is an interesting story my son," Splinter said as he affectionately placed a paw on his shoulder and smiled down at him.

"You've made me proud Michelangelo. Your gift to look past appearances to see the soul within is humbling," the Sensei said making the youngest turtle blush at the compliment.

"That said you, Maya and myself will be having a _very _long conversation later," Splinter added.

With that Master Splinter volunteered all of his sons to walk Maya to her home since it was getting closer to midnight and the rat would not tolerate the girl walking unaccompanied. Just as they were about to leave Master Splinter stopped Maya with a gently hand on her shoulder.

"Thank you for saving my son and for trusting us," Splinter said gently.

Maya smiled up at the man before she replied, "You are welcome. This one is looking forward to you coming tomorrow night."

The girl then turned and ran to Michelangelo who was waiting with his brothers to walk her to her home.

…

Leo, Raph and Donny were pretty quiet as they walked back to Maya's apartment. The three brothers watched in fascination as Mikey piggy backed the small girl on his back both giggling at something only the two of them could possibly understand. The pair had only known each other for little over a month but they looked as though they had been together over fifty lifetimes. The moment was ruined when Donny thought of something and sighed.

"What's wrong with you brainiac?" Raph asked.

"Nothing just…realized something annoying," the purple masked turtle replied.

Curious Leo gazed at his brother and asked, "And that would be?

Donny looked irritated as he huffed before he replied, "out of all of us, Mikey is the closest to having a serious relationship with girl…"

Leo and Raph looked at each other before they groaned at the new information and soon looked just as annoyed as their younger brother.

"First one to see a girl naked to boot," Raph added.

Suddenly all three brothers were looking at each other looking annoyed at themselves and silently agreed on one thing.

_'We seriously need to get out more'_

When they got to the apartment building though Maya started look nervous about going inside which immediately had the brothers on edge.

"Everything ok Maya?" Leo asked her.

Maya looked up at the oldest turtle and smiled before she replied, "Just a bit nervous to tell Isla…this one was supposed to tell her before she told the rest of you about…us."

"You're not gonna get in trouble are you?" Donny asked.

Maya began playing with a chunk of her hair before she hesitantly replied, "not sure…maybe a little."

Before anyone could say anything Raph grabbed the girl's hand and started walking towards the apartment building before he stopped and demanded Maya tell him which apartment was hers. With a confused expression she pointed it out before he started leading her to the fire escape that led to the girl's home. Mikey was the first to snap out of it with a knowing smile before he started to catch up to the pair followed by Leo and Donny who just looked confused.

"Raph what are you guys doing?" Leo asked trying to catch up.

"We're gonna go up there with Maya to back her up if she starts getting any slack about tonight," Raph explained bluntly before he turned and continued to walk up the stairs.

"You do not need to do this Raphael. Please it is alright," Maya replied in shock as she stopped them at the fire escape.

Raph glared at the girl before he replied, "If you think I'm gonna sit by and watch somebody get punished for risking their neck to save one of my bros then you gotta another thing coming."

"Don't try talking him out of it May. Once Raphie boy has his mind on something nothing can stop him," Mikey explained.

"Case and point," Raph said before he picked Maya up and threw her over his shoulder earning a yelp out of the girl.

Casually the hot head made his way up the fire escape followed by his brothers. Leo and Don looked like they could die of embarrassment at that moment while Mikey just chuckled at the sound of Maya's squeal. When Raph got to the top of the fire escape he didn't notice the light on behind the curtains and promptly move them aside before he climbed in the window.

The second oldest brother was taken aback when his green eyes met the surprised bluish grey eyes of a young woman that couldn't have been older than twenty five. The silver haired woman held a baby that looked at Raph with a serious expression.

"Uh hi," the hot head said awkwardly.

"Hello…you must be Michelangelo's brother," the woman replied.

"Hi Isla," Maya giggled as she still hung over Raphael's shoulder.

The woman smiled gently at the girl before he looked up at Raphael and said, "This one believes that belongs to us."

"Huh?...oh ya crap sorry," Raph said quickly putting the girl down.

Soon Mikey, Leo and Don climbed through the window after surprised to see the calm woman smiling gently at them. The baby in the woman's arms saw Mikey and started squealing in delight with his arms held out demanding to be held. The three oldest turtles watched in shock as their brother picked the baby up and began blowing raspberries on the baby's tummy making him giggle. Maya stood beside him making silly faces while Isla watched the scene affectionately. The brothers felt like outsiders looking into someone else's family…Mikey's other family that he had found when his own had rejected him. To say that hit a nerve within the older turtles was an understatement.

"You should be asleep," the girl giggled to the ten month old baby.

"Be gently with him Maya his bottom teeth are coming in at the same time," Isla replied crossing her arms before she turned her attention to the remaining brothers.

"Thank you for bringing this one's sister home," she said giving the three boys a grateful bow.

Leo, Donny, and Raph all quickly bowed in return blushing at the attention they were receiving from the beautiful woman. They noticed the woman suddenly look confused as she looked over at Maya before she walked over and ran her fingers through the younger girl's locks.

"This is new hair…Maya tell this one you didn't," Isla said looking scared.

"I-it was an emergency," Maya replied nervously.

Isla took a deep breath as if to calm her temper before she replied, "child that was extremely reckless of you. What if you were seen?"

Before Maya could say anything else Mikey went up beside her and quickly explained, "Don't be mad at her if you have to be mad at me it was my fault."

"She did it to save Mikey. If it weren't for her he wouldn't be standing here," Raph piped up in the girl's defense.

Isla still looked extremely upset as she stared at them all, "you do not understand how dangerous a choice that was."

"With all due respect miss, look at us. We know better than anyone the risk of exposing ourselves to the world. Maya befriended our brother without prejudice of the way he looked, you welcomed him into your home and made him apart of your family…allow us to return the favor to both Maya and you," Leo explained.

The oldest turtle gave a look before he knelt down and pulled out his swords before placing them on the floor in front of him. Donny and Raph followed suit as did Michelangelo after he placed the baby on the carpet floor.

"We the Hamato clan swear on our honor that we will protect both your secret and your family with our lives," Leo said bowing his head followed by his brothers.

For a moment the two girls were silent as Isla stared down at them in surprise while Maya smile with gratitude. Finally Isla sighed in acceptance before looking over at the younger girl and smiling in amusement.

"Bit dramatic aren't they?" she said making Maya giggle.

Quietly Isla knelt down in front of the turtles and put her finger under Leo's chin to tilt his head up so he was staring at her. Leo felt like she was looking into his soul by the way she staring him so intently before he noticed her expression seemed almost sad.

"They remind me of your brothers," she said almost to herself.

The other turtles hesitantly lifted up their heads and Isla met all of their gazes with a kind and gentle smile.

"You are now welcome in this home as brothers of our pod as you have so graciously welcomed our small family as members of your clan," Isla said.

The turtles smiled truly happy to feel accepted once again. As the brothers tried to stand up Raph felt a tug and looked down to see the culprit. The twenty pound baby with bluish grey eyes and a tuff of silver hair smiled up at the hot head. Raph couldn't help smiling back at the baby before he saw the little one take the ends of his mask tails and stick them in his mouth.

"Gah no little baby not for eating," Raph said as gently as he could manage before trying to tug the tails back.

Everyone watched in amusement as the baby let go and decided he wanted Raph to pick him up before holding his arms out at the turtle. Raph looked over at Isla who nodded encouragingly for him to go ahead before the red masked turtle carefully picked up the baby. Leo and Donny were fascinated as the little baby began running his tiny hands over Raph's face as if he were memorizing it.

"I-I think this little guys likes me," Raph said in amazement as he held the baby.

"I knew you'd eventually find somebody who does," Leo teased before all three of the brothers started trying to make the baby laugh.

Mikey stood beside Maya with his arm around her shoulder watching the scene in front of them with amusement.

"Aww they made a friend," Mikey cooed making the girls smile.

"Alright boys, part of being in a pod means that this one can bluntly kick you out so that this one can get this child to bed," Isla said plucking her child out of Raphael's hands.

The baby looked sad as he watched his new friends leave but smiled when Mikey gave him one last silly face before he disappeared into the night.

…

The next night when the boys led Master Splinter to Maya's home to meet her family he couldn't help noticing their excitement. He also couldn't help being excited himself since it had been so long since he had gone to a social gathering.

_'Tang Shen and I hosted a dinner for our clan to celebrate the birth of Miwa' _Splinter recalled smiling sadly at the memory of his lost family.

"Master Splinter we're here," Leonardo said pulling Splinter from his thoughts.

The rat followed his sons up the fire escape and through a window into a bedroom that looked as though it belonged to a baby. A cooing noise from outside the room confirmed his suspicions as Splinter walked out of the room to see a woman feeding her baby.

The former human couldn't help but watch the interaction with a distant look in his eyes. Memories from long ago played in his mind and a familiar ache filled his chest. The woman must have felt his eyes on her because she quickly looked up and smiled at Splinter before wiping her hands off with a dish towel.

"Welcome, this one is honored to have you in our home. This one is called Isla," the young woman said bowing to Master Splinter respectfully.

"Please, the honor is ours. You may call me Splinter," the rat replied bowing in return.

"Come please make yourselves at home. Dinner will be ready shortly," the woman said to them all as she turned her attention back on the baby.

Master Splinter followed his sons into the small living room that was very plain decoration. After what he learned of the small family the night before he was not surprised to see the walls bare of any family pictures. However he did notice a frame on the coffee table with a hand drawn picture inside a frame and couldn't hold back his amazement.

The drawing was of two mermaids with their heads leaning against one another with smiles on their faces. Their tails were intertwined as were their hands, their eyes staring at each other full of love indicating that the pair were lovers.

"Wow that's amazing. I feel like I'm looking at a photograph," Donny said looking at the drawing in his father's hands.

Curious the remaining Hamato brothers walked over to see the drawing. Leo and Raph stared in amazement while Mikey smirked as he recognized the picture.

"Maya is a pretty wicked artist," the youngest turtle said looking over his shoulder at his blushing friend.

"Do not sell yourself short Michelangelo your talent is also quite amazing," Maya said wanting to take the attention off of herself.

The older turtles stared between the pair in shock before staring at their youngest brother as if looking at him for the first time.

"Mikey, you can draw for real?" Raph asked his orange masked brother.

The turtle gave his brothers a strange look before he replied, "hel_lo _we're working on a comic book together."

Leo, Raph and Don had the good sense to look guilty as they had forgotten about team M&amp;M's little hobby and never asked to see any of their work.

Isla took that moment to walk into the living room and noticed the picture in Splinter's hand. The sensei watched as the woman gently took the picture and gazed at it lovingly before looking up at Splinter with a sad smile that the former human knew all too well.

"This seems so long ago," the woman said quietly almost to herself.

"Who is this person?" Splinter asked the woman curiously.

Isla looked at him looking conflicted on whether or not she should say anything about the man in the picture.

"Maya's brother…this one's mate," she said bluntly.

"Where is he?" Splinter asked without thinking and quickly regretted it when he saw the look on Isla's face.

"That is a long story," Isla said.

Splinter gently put a paw on her shoulder and said, "Forgive me I am prying where I should not be,"

Isla smiled up at the rat before shaking her head and deciding now was a good time to change the subject to a happier note.

"Think nothing of it now…come everyone let us eat," Isla said followed by the cheers of four very hungry turtles.

The meal was simply boxed salmon fillets, rice and vegetables but it was a delicious meal none the less as far as the Hamato family was concerned. Splinter felt true bliss as he looked around the table and saw only happiness.

He saw his second youngest son talking with Isla about everything there was to know about mermaids. On the other side of the table his youngest had covered his face with a napkin and tied in place with his mask making it look like the serviette was part of his face.

"Enemies tremble before the sight of napkin ninja!" the teen shouted.

Raph and Leo were hunched over from laughing so hard and Maya squealed as Mikey gently bit her cheek through the napkin. The sounds of belly laughter brought the mutant rat's attention to the tiny child who was giggling as he stared at Michelangelo from his highchair. The little one had somehow grabbed hold of Raphael's bandana tails and tugged on them happily.

He wished this night would somehow never end and he could somehow be stuck in this moment with his family forever. However dinner was over before long and the boys made quick work of clearing the table and stacking the dishes neatly on the kitchen counters. Soon the teenagers all disappeared into the living room leaving Master Splinter and Isla alone.

"This one hopes you enjoyed yourself," Isla said.

"I truly did…perhaps for the first time since before I lost my wife," Splinter admitted.

Before the former human could scold himself Isla reached across and squeezed his hand as a gesture of understanding.

"There shall be more times of joy to be had then for us both," Isla said.

Splinter smiled at the woman when something occurred to him before he said, "I must tell you…I have offered Maya a place to train in my dojo with my sons-"

"This is good news! Maya has not trained since we left our pod what did she say?" Isla interrupted almost anxious.

"She accepted my offer but…I am surprised to hear there is training for battle amongst your species," Splinter replied.

"Like humans we have wars over territory with other pods…there are also the more vicious creatures that we must defend ourselves from. Maya she…after everything…I thought she would never practice again…perhaps she has found something worth fighting for," Isla explained.

"It has been difficult living here on the surface," Splinter said meaning it more as a question.

Isla nodded before she said, "Our people fear the humans because of what they have done to our kind in the past. Disguising ourselves as them keeps us safe from their greed but it means sacrificing our way of life...my son…he has yet to even have his first swim in free water for fear we will be discovered."

As Splinter listened an idea formed in his head. This small family gave them acceptance that they had craved all their lives as mutants, he wished to give them something of equal value.

"Our home although in the sewers has fresh water that comes through. If you wish for a safe place to swim with your son then it is open to you," Splinter said.

Isla stared at the rat in shock as tears formed in her eyes. Silently she reached over and wrapped her arms around Splinter's neck gratefully. After a while the two separated and agreed it was time for the Hamato family to take their leave.

Upon entering the living room Isla and Splinter smiled at the sight before them. The teenagers and baby were all peacefully sleeping on the floor. Caspian laid on Maya's chest while she laid on Michelangelo who had an arm wrapped around them both. Mikey's head laid parallel to Donny's on Raphael's plastron. The red masked turtle had an arm wrapped around each of his younger brothers while his head rested on Leo's thigh. The oldest was spread out like a star fish with a pillow placed under his head.

"My sons I believe it is time to leave," Splinter said gently earning himself a groan from his four children.

"Can't move…ate too much food,"Raph replied as his brothers nodded in agreement.

Master Splinter stroked his beard thoughtfully before he said, "perhaps some extra katas to assist with digestion are in order…"

Suddenly a miracle occurred and the four brothers miraculously sat up, Mikey being careful not to jostle Maya too much and risk waking up the baby.

"Ya know I think I'm feeling better already," Donny said smiling brightly with his hands on his hips.

"I thought you might," Splinter replied.

The Hamato family quickly said good night before returning to their home smiling brightly much to Splinter's delight.

* * *

Well that's all for now folks and I'm hoping I'll have more story for you sooner then later. Take care of yourselves readers and don't forget to follow and review :)


	8. Chapter 8

Hello everyone! I am excited to say that I've officially completed my college program \0/ To celebrate MORE STORY HOORAH! Enjoy everyone and thanks for reading

* * *

April smirked as she listened to the amused chuckles while she grabbed her books for her next class. She closed the metal door before spinning around to see Maya amusing herself with the water fountain. The tiny girl would push the button and chuckle to herself as she watched the water shoot up and over into the drain before letting go. She would take a few minutes to recover from her laughing fit before repeating process making more than a few people give her weird looks.

The red head gave her friend a strange look and shook her head as she thought _'Mikey would love this girl…two weirdos in a pod.'_

An ache filled the red head's chest as she thought of the four brothers. She missed them all like crazy but she was still furious about what happened with her father. Even if she did want to fix things she had told them she never wanted to see them again…and they could disappear into thin air never to be found again if they really wanted to.

"April, are you alright?" a meek voice said interrupting her thoughts and the red head turned to see Maya looking at her with concerned eyes.

"What me? Oh I'm fine, peachy even. Just a little tired from trying to keep up lately with everything," April replied.

Maya had an unreadable expression on her face as she stared into April's eyes. Maya was staring with such intensity that if April didn't know any better she would say that her friend was reading her mind.

"HEADS UP!"

April gasped when she looked up and saw a puck flying right at her face. Just as the red head thought the day was going to end in a bloody nose, a hand whipped out of nowhere and caught the puck mere inches from April's face.

The red head turned to the owner of the hand in shock to see that Maya was the one that caught the puck. The girl looked at April relieved to see her unharmed before turning to see where the offending object had come from.

"Damn Thumbelina…we should get you to try out for goalie," the voice from before said and both girls turned to see it was the boy who accidentally pushed April on Maya's first day.

Maya had just enough time to look at the boy in confusion before April got between them and right into the boy's face.

"What the hell is wrong with you?" April said completely livid.

"You don't just shoot hockey pucks down the hallway at people! Maya probably needs to go see the nurse and make sure her wrist isn't broken!" the furious girl continued to scold earning them a bit of a crowd.

"This one is alright," Maya piped in trying to soothe her friend's rage but April only ignored her and continued on.

"How irresponsible can you be!" she screamed.

The boy put his hands up in surrender before he said, "alright, alright my bad I aimed to high sorry."

April growled as she glared daggers at the tall lanky boy in front of her. The boy only chuckled in response before leaning down to Maya who barely came up to his shoulder.

"Red always this feisty or is she just happy to see me?" he asked the girl deliberately loud enough for April to hear.

"This one doesn't think April looks very happy at the moment," Maya replied innocently.

"Hey you leave her alone! Who are you anyway and what do you want?" April demanded.

The dark haired teen gave the angry girl a strange before he started leaning on his hockey stick.

"You signed up for extra credit didn't you? Well I'm the handsome devil you get to tutor," he explained.

Now it was April's turn to look confused before she replied, "that's not possible I'm already tutoring Maya."

The boy just shrugged his shoulders before he replied with a smirk, "Guess you got lucky and pulled the long straw to get the honor of tutoring me."

"More like the short straw," April mumbled before she huffed in annoyance.

That was the moment the teen straightened up and looked at April with a serious expression on his face and said, "Look I really need your help alright. If I don't pass trig then I'm gonna get kicked off the hockey team…Please?"

April ignored the bell as she stared at the boy for a moment tapping her thumb on one of the textbooks she was holding against her chest before she decided.

"Ugh fine, we were planning on going to the park tonight. Be there for 7 sharp," April said still looking annoyed.

A huge grin spread over the boy's face as he walked over to Maya's right side and squeezed both her and April into a side hug.

"Alright Red! Just you, me and Gidget. The three amigos," he said.

Maya gave the boy a confused look before she innocently replied, "What on Earth is a Gidget? This one is called Maya."

The boy chuckled as he squeezed her tighter and explained, "don't worry it's just a nickname…it means your fun sized."

Soon he let go of both girls before he gently plucked his puck out of Maya's hand. He then proceeded to drop it rubber cylinder on the floor before sending it flying down the hall. It bounced off of a locker and the water fountain before bouncing off another boy's head making the hockey player cringe.

"Now if you ladies would excuse me," he said as he started to walk away to go find where the puck landed.

April quickly called after him, "Wait, what's your name?"

The tall black haired teen turned and flashed April a grin with two missing top front teeth before he replied, "Casey Jones."

Then he disappeared into the crowd as he walked down the hall leaving April and Maya staring at each other before they too walked to class.

…

Leonardo walked out of his room and noticed his youngest brother sitting on the couch in the sunken living room staring at the entrance. The oldest turtle couldn't help chuckling to himself as he shook his head at Mikey.

_'It's like watching Donny when April used to come around' _he thought as he walked over and grinned evilly when a devious plan formed in his head.

The blue masked turtle quietly approached his unsuspecting prey trying desperately not to give himself away by laughing. When he was close enough he grabbed his baby brother by his shoulders before he started shaking him from side to side and back and forth.

"EARTHQUAKE!" Leo shouted as he continued his assault.

AAAHHHHH!" Mikey screamed before his oldest brother dropped him onto the couch.

Leo fell over laughing at the sight of his baby brother looking like he just had a heart attack. His laughter was cut short when said baby brother slammed him into the ground and pinned down his arms.

"Dude not cool! I almost had a heart attack man!" Mikey yelled at him.

Leo just chuckled before he said in a sing song voice, "worth it!"

"Oh I'll make it worth it alright," Mikey said before he started gathering saliva in his mouth.

Suddenly Leo looked really freaked out and begged, "M-Mikey no…I'm sorry dude don't do that!"

"Shoulda thought of that before you decided to take on Dr. Prankenstein bro," the other turtle replied with a mouth full of spit.

Slowly Mikey sent a thick glob of drool down towards Leo's face. The older turtle squirming desperately to get away. He knew if he tried to use his legs to pull Mikey off there was a risk the spit would still land on him but Mikey's grip made it impossible to wiggle away.

Donny chose that moment to walk in and quickly noticed what was going on. Calmly he walked over and squatted beside his brothers switching his gaze from one brother to the other.

"What's a…what's goin' on here guys?" he asked casually.

"Punishing Leo he jumped me from behind," Mikey explained quickly turning his attention to controlling the drool trail.

The tech savvy turtle nodded his head before he replied, "interesting torture tactic Mikey. Reminds me of Chinese water torture."

"Oh ya? That's pretty cool," Mikey replied making the string of saliva sway dangerously back and forth.

Leo glared at his brother before he said, "Donny please stop making him talk and GET HIM OFF OF ME."

Donny just chuckled and shook his head as he said, "oh Leo, Leo, Leo."

"Do you remember the last time I had to fix the toaster and I said to you and I quote 'if you touch it again I will punish you'?" Donny asked pleasantly with an expression on his face that made Leo nervous.

Reluctantly the oldest turtle nodded before Donny nodded with him and said, "Ya, well so do I…Mikey how low can you go without touching his face?"

Mikey smirked at his older brother before he said, "Let's find out."

Raph walked into the room with Master Splinter to behold an unusual sight. Mikey had his oldest brother held down with a trail of spit coming out of his mouth stopping just inches from Leo's left eye.

Donny was squatting beside them swaying back and forth singing, "How low can you go? How low can you go?"

Raph chuckled as he walked over and stood over Leo's head with his arms crossed and a smirk on his face before he commented, "Yer lookin' a little uncomfortable there Fearless."

None of the turtles noticed when Master Splinter silently approached his sons and stood beside the two quarreling turtles opposite of Donatello.

"Michelangelo," Splinter said sternly.

Still with the gob of spit in his mouth Mikey innocently turned his gaze to his father and said, "Yes Sensei."

"You're skill is impressive my son but he does not deserve to be punished simply because you allowed him to catch you off guard," the rat scolded.

Michelangelo sighed in defeat before he replied, "Yes Sensei."

He nonchalantly slurped up his drool and swallowed it before letting his older brother get up off of the floor. Leo glared at his baby brother silently vowing to punish the orange masked turtle during training tonight.

"What were you doin' sneaking up on shell for brains anyway?" Raph asked.

"Oh…ya I caught him staring at the entrance waiting for Maya and I couldn't resist," Leo replied chuckling at the memory.

Splinter's face turned into a look of confusion before he turned to his youngest son.

"Michelangelo do you not recall what Maya told you about her being tutored on Tuesday nights?" the Sensei asked.

The orange masked turtle looked lost in thought for a moment before looking up at his father sadly when it finally clued in to him what his Sensei was saying.

"Maya isn't coming tonight is she?" Mikey replied looking disappointed.

"I'm afraid not my son," Splinter replied regretfully.

The three older turtles noticed their baby brother's sudden change in mood and immediately the purple masked turtle jumped into action. In a moment Donny had his arm wrapped around the orange masked turtle pulling him into a side hug.

"C'mon we'll have a bro night after training just you and us," Donny said trying to cheer Mikey up.

"Sounds great D," Mikey replied still looking like someone burnt his pizza.

Raph growled and lightly shoved the fun loving turtle as he walked by and said, "gee Mikey don't sound too excited to hang out with us."

Mikey glared at his brother's retreating form and stuck his tongue out at him as he rubbed his now slightly sore arm. The youngest turtle was the only one in the family that was oblivious to the fact that his hot head brother was feeling the effects of Mikey's new social life. To be fair though all the bros were feeling the green-eyed monster rearing its ugly head towards them all especially after they found out that Master Splinter was going to take the girl under his wing and teach her ninjitsu.

Raph was taking it the hardest of the brothers when he realized that Mikey never looked as happy hanging out with them as he did with Maya. Seemed to the red masked turtle that anytime the mermaid couldn't come over Mikey would sulk and nothing or nobody could get him to stop until he got the call from the tiny girl. Raph had to admit it was enough to make a turtle feel a little unappreciated especially since this was the same kid who'd follow him around wanting to be just like his big brother 'Raphie'. The absolute worst part of all this was that he had nobody to be angry at about this whole thing except for himself.

All those times Mikey begged them to play with him but they had better things to do turned around and now they were the ones chasing after their baby brother's attention. Not only has he got someone who would do just about anything for him but whenever they hung out it was like they were in their own little world and nobody else mattered.

Mikey caught up with his older brother when he noticed he was being really quiet and wanted to make sure he was alright.

"You okay bro? That vein in your head is getting extra plump all of a sudden," the fun loving turtle asked concerned.

"Ya don't worry Mikey everything is cool," Raph replied as he kept walking.

The orange masked turtle rolled his eyes and mumbled, "if by cool you mean 'I'm gonna beat you if you breathe to loud' then ya bro you're totally cool."

Raph glared at his little brother before he said, "Just shut up and go walk with Donny. The pair of you can sulk about being ditched by your girlfriends."

"Hey! I'm not sulking!" Donny yelled from behind them.

"So you weren't just staring at pictures of you and April wondering if she'll ever forgive you," Raph said sarcastically.

"Raph that's enough, we have work to do. Donny, Mikey get your heads in the game alright," Leo scolded in his 'I'm the leader don't argue with me' tone.

After that the talk to the manhole was pretty quiet other than the sounds of Mikey drumming his fingers against the handles of his nun chucks. It was a nervous habit of the youngest turtle when he was put into situations that were awkwardly silent. Suddenly a smile spread like wildfire across the fun loving turtle's face as he reached down for his phone.

Raph was confused when he suddenly heard his phone going off and without checking his call display quickly answered.

"Hello?" he asked.

"Hey Raph," Mikey answered.

Raph turned around and gave his brother a weird with the phone still to his ear and asked, "Mikey what the shell are you doin?"

Mikey looked as his brother with a heartfelt expression on his face before he said casually, "I just wanna tell you how I'm feeling…Gotta make you understand…"

Raph closed his eyes and sighed knowing what was about to happen as Mikey started to bob his head. Leo and Donny looked away trying hard not to laugh as they walked behind them giving the pair some space to work out their issue.

Suddenly Mikey burst out singing dramatically, "Never gonna give you up, never gonna let you down, never gonna run around and desert you…"

Raph was trying hard to keep an annoyed expression on his face but when his baby brother brought out the dramatic hand gestures he was done.

"Never gonna make you cry, never gonna say goodbye, never gonna tell a lie and hurt you…"

At this point Raph could hear Donny and Leo cracking up from where they were standing and watching the scene play out. Meanwhile the orange masked turtle was completely cool as a cucumber during his entire performance as if this was the most normal thing in the world.

"…anyway bro that's all I wanted to say I'll catch ya later," Mikey said casually before he nonchalantly put his phone away and walked past Raph towards the manhole humming to himself.

That was it, game over man, the bros couldn't take it anymore and burst out laughing uncontrollably. Even Mikey at this point couldn't keep it up anymore and started chuckling as his brothers caught up with him.

Suddenly all the anger Raph was feeling disappeared instantly, it was Mikey's gift. He never had to tell the youngest why he was angry the kid just always knew and what to do to help whether it was just sitting quietly while he ranted, pulling a prank to get his mind of something or just making him laugh.

Raph let Leo and Donny walk past him when his felt his phone buzzing and quickly looked down to see Mikey had sent him a text message. The hot head's face lit up as he read the simple words.

_'You're still my best friend bro.'_

Everything seemed to go back to normal after that for the turtles. The group was silent once again but this time it was comfortable instead of tense and uncomfortable. Soon they four brothers went up to the surface to begin their training.

…

The name of the game was stealth training tonight and the three older brothers volunteered their youngest to be the target luring him with rooftop pizza. It didn't take long for Raph to have the orange masked turtle in a shell wedgie as Donny watched from the top of the water tower.

He had been trying to be sympathetic to his little brother when he realized Maya wasn't coming over. It was the same feeling he still got sometimes when he realized April wasn't going to be walking through the entrance of the layer anytime soon. Granted the way Mikey felt about Maya was probably a lot more innocent then the way Donny felt about April but the feeling of disappointment was still there.

The purple masked turtle sighed as he wandered over to the other side of the roof to see if April was studying in the park.

"Would it be weird if I just showed up?" he asked himself.

Suddenly he could hear the sound of someone's voice and quickly ducked behind the roof wall. He slowly looked over the top of the wall to see the girl he couldn't stop thinking about…and somebody else. A male somebody else. Needless to say Donatello was not a happy turtle.

"She's on a date?! With some punk kid? What the shell April you can do better than that," Donny scolded his crush from the roof.

Raphael would have been proud of the growl that escaped his little brother's lips as he leaned over to try and hear what they were saying. Suddenly Donny found himself falling off the roof and landing in a dumpster. Thankfully neither one heard him as he slowly opened the lid to watch them looking heartbroken.

_'This stinks' _he thought sourly before he quietly climbed out and disappeared into the shadows.

It wasn't until Donny disappeared that Maya showed up out of breath as she held onto her English book.

"Hey Gidget you made it!" Casey said trying to sound excited even though he was a little bit bummed that he no longer had one on one time with the pretty red read.

"This one is sorry…Isla needed help with the baby," Maya rushed to explain.

April smiled kindly at the girl and said, "It's ok, I got your text."

The girl then turned to Casey and pulled the textbook he was holding out of his hands before quickly flipping through it. When she found what she was looking for she handed the textbook back to Casey along with a pencil.

"Look over those questions and try to answer them the best you can. Then we'll go over them and I'll tell you where you're going wrong," April explained before getting off the swing and walked over to Maya.

"You and I can go over to the benches and practice some English," April explained before leading the girl away.

Casey did as he was told and looked over the questions but he couldn't help his gaze looking over at the girls on the bench. There was something different about the both of them that he liked, neither one were scared of him or looked at him like he was a punk. The boy had to admit it was kinda nice.

After a while the girls walked back over and sat on the swings on either side of Casey. April took the textbook from the boy to see how he did on the questions. As she did the black haired teen looked over at Maya who looked a little defeated.

"English lesson not go so hot Gidge?" Casey asked.

Maya looked up at him with a small smile and explained, "This one cannot stop saying this one. April says 'I' is the proper term to use when referring to this one but it feels too simple and unnatural."

"Oh I wouldn't be too bummed about that shrimp," the hockey obsessed teen replied kindly.

"Really?" Maya asked hopefully.

"Hell ya really. You sound like you speak pretty good English as far as I'm concerned. Besides Casey Jones likes talking in third person to," Casey said giving the girl a wink.

"Thank you," Maya replied simply smiling at the boy.

The boy chuckled as he ruffled the girl's hair affectionately, Casey had to admit the girl was growing on him.

April watched the pair interact and couldn't help smiling at how well they got along. She felt a bit guilty admitting that she was surprised that a punkish jock like Casey Jones could be gentle when he wanted to be. The rest of the study session went on as normal and before the trio knew it they were done for the night.

Casey had just finished packing up his textbook before he said, "if you gals are all set I'll walk the pair of ya home."

April and Maya smiled and nodded before the group started walking in the direction of Maya's apartment unknown to them that they were being watched.

* * *

All done for now. I maybe focusing on the relationship between Raph and Mikey, the bromance is strong in these two, but there will be lot's of bromance with all the bros...and torture . I also really like the idea of April being over protective of Maya and being her guide into the human society. What do you guys think? Can't wait to hear from you, till next time take care :)


	9. Chapter 9

Hi guys! Thanks for all the reviews that was a great surprise :) Anyway on with the story

* * *

Donny was quiet as they walked back to the lair and his brothers were quickly noticing something was wrong with their tech savvy brother. He refused to say anything to them until finally Raph threatened to beat it out of him. After he finally explained what was bothering him, the remaining brothers could see how genuinely hurt he was. None of them teased him or rolled their eyes at how ridiculous their purple masked brother was being.

Leo came over pulled his little brother into a half hug before he said, "sorry you saw that bro."

"Ya but hey maybe it's not what you think. Maybe they just hang out sometimes like Mikey and Maya do," Raph added.

Donny scrunched up his face and shook his head sadly before he replied, "you didn't see the way they were looking at each other…"

The two older turtles thought desperately of a way to cheer up their little brother. They hated seeing either of their A- team looking so destroyed especially when there was nothing they could do about it to fix the problem.

Suddenly Mikey popped up in front of his big brother's face with a big smile on his face. The orange masked turtle rubbed his brother's head affectionately making Donny a little irritated.

"April is just on a date bro, she's not getting married. Besides it bro night and guidelines pacify that no bro will be sad on bro night…or talk about bro night," Mikey said.

For the most part the smaller turtle was completely crazy spurting nonsense. Sometimes though when you needed him to be Mikey the wisest person in the world using his insanity to say just what you needed to hear.

Donny stared at his baby brother for a minute before smirking at him as he shook his head and replied, "specify not pacify…thanks Mikey."

With that four brothers made their way back home and were greeted at the entrance once again by their father.

"So what do you guys wanna do? Pinball competition? Cartoons?" Leo asked.

"OH! April left her wii and video games here," Mikey said completely forgetting about the situation that took place only moments ago.

Leo and Raph glared at their little brother when they saw the look on Donny's face. Immediately Mikey realized his mistake and visibly started to look guilty.

"Its ok guys you were right. She's probably just hanging out with some guy…even if it's a date that's all it really is right?" Donny said trying to fool his brothers into thinking he wasn't upset.

"Go ahead and set up the game ok I just need to do a couple tests on the mutagen and I'll be right out," the tech savvy turtle said with a smile.

Soon he disappeared into his lab leaving his brothers behind to figure out what to do about their heart broken brother.

…

When the purple masked turtle entered his sanctuary he finally felt it was safe enough to let himself feel miserable. He really didn't want to complain about it in front of his brothers since for once they weren't teasing and instead trying hard to cheer him up. Donny sighed and rubbed the back of his neck before he looked up and noticed the mutant blob staring at him.

"Hey Timothy," Donny said as he walked over towards his equipment and began messing with a speaker box that he had found in a dumpster.

"You are never gonna believe what happened to me today. I saw April but…she wasn't by herself," Donny said anger seeping its way out of him bit by bit until finally something snapped.

"Can you believe it? On a date! With some punk kid no less…What is she thinking going on a date with a guy like that!" Donny ranted at the mutated blob man.

"…and she looked at him you know like…oh take me I'm yours," he added in a high pitched voice as he batted his eyelashes before becoming disgruntled again.

After some tinkering and ranting on Donny's part the speaker was ready to be hooked up to Timothy's tank so that he could communicate.

"Alright Timothy let's see how this goes," the tech savvy turtle said as he plugged the speaker in and tucked it into a pocket on the front of the liquid filled tube.

"Is it working?" Donny asked the creature.

_'Speaking to you…Donny' _came through the speaker making the turtle smile at his success.

"Alright it works! Let's see April's boyfriend do that," Donny said proudly.

_'I like April Donny' _the blob replied through the speaker.

"You and me both Pulverizer," the purple masked turtle said and he tapped the glass of the tank affectionately.

"Guess I'll have to face it…April will never want to be friends again," Donny added setting up his equipment to start working on the retro mutagen.

"Donatello," a voice said and the turtle looked u to see the owner of the voice was Master Splinter.

"Come my son I wish to see you for a moment," the sensei said.

"Sure Master Splinter," Donny replied as he got up and followed his father into the dojo.

When he entered the dojo he immediately stood in front of Master Splinter and bowed to him respectfully.

Master Splinter mirrored his son's bow before he stood before his son calmly and said, "Today I'm going to teach you to enjoy falling down."

Before Donny could react his father kicked his legs out from underneath him using his walking stick.

"Did you enjoy that?" Splinter asked.

"Not really," Donny replied a bit surprised.

"Let's try again," the rat replied

Master Splinter continued to knock him over again and again and again. No matter how many times Donny got up his father would just knock him down again and he most certainly was not liking any part of it.

"Do you like it yet?" Splinter asked helping his son to his feet.

"No sensei not at all," Donny replied.

"Hmm perhaps one cannot make someone like something," Splinter said stroking his beard thoughtfully.

"Well of course no one wants to be…" Donny started to say when it finally dawned on him what the lesson was about.

"Oh I get it…you're talking about me and April," Donny finally said.

"My son for someone so intelligent the obvious often eludes you," Splinter replied staring at his son sympathetically.

Donny sighed in defeat before he replied, "I-it's not that I don't know it, I just…don't want to see it. Being who we are I think we were always prepared to never really have anybody outside of our clan…but when April came into our lives it just felt like suddenly it was possible. Have a life, friends…love."

Not for the first time Splinter felt a tightness in his chest knowing the kind of life his sons would have. He never wanted them to lead lonely lives but he feared for them in the world above and the dangers it held for those like them. Silently Master Splinter placed his hand on Donatello's shoulder and gave it a gentle squeeze.

"My son you were not dealt a fair hand in this life but you must be strong. Difficulties will be common I'm afraid however I do also believe that you were destined for great things Donatello," Splinter explained smiling kindly to his son.

Donny barely spared a glance to his master for he said, "I wish I could have what Mikey has with Maya"

Splinter smiled before he replied, "your brother found true friendship and happiness within it by being strong enough to still see the good in others even after being betrayed."

The purple masked turtle clenched his hands as he recalled how devastated his baby brother had been after Bradford had used him. He still had an itch to make that jerk into a piñata and pay for all the hurt he put Mikey through.

"What he has with Maya however is different then what you want with April," Splinter said eyeing his son.

Donny smirked at his father before he asked, "you honestly don't think those two will be more then friends?"

"It may be possible in the future, however now they both still have the innocent minds of children. They only know that they do care for one another but do not know how deeply," Splinter replied.

"Sensei do you…do you think that might be a possibility for me?" Donny asked hopeful.

The rat smiled down at the purple masked turtle before he replied, "my son every day you and your brothers surprise me by creating your own possibilities. Watching you fills me with hope that perhaps your future may not be filled with as much challenge and despair as I have feared."

Donny smiled gratefully at his father before a loud boom filled the lair shocking the Hamato family. Immediately they were all on guard.

"What was that?" Splinter demanded.

Donny ran to his room and saw that the canister he had left behind was bone dry and Timothy was missing. There was also a large hole leading out into the sewers in the shape of a large tank with limbs which seemed very odd to the brothers.

"Timothy," the tech savvy turtle said when he realized his friend was missing.

Looking over at his photographs Donatello noticed one of them missing, his picture of him and April.

_'Oh no' _he thought as his brothers came barreling into the lab to see where the source of the noise had come from.

"Guys we gotta go Pulverizer is after April. I'll explain on the way," Donny said before taking off down through the hole in the wall followed by his brothers.

…

"So you told your thoughts and feelings to a jar," Raph said to his brother.

"Hey Timothy is a good listener," Donny replied as they ran across the roofs of New York City.

"Well April's t-phone is still off so we can't track her signal," Leo piped in.

Donny huffed before he explained, "she's probably at the park…on a date."

"Alright, Donny you and I will check April's place while Raph and Mikey go check the park," Leo commanded.

Soon all four brothers were off in a desperate search for their friend.

…

"Well we didn't get a whole lot done tonight," April commented.

"Do not be troubled April it was fun," Maya replied.

"Ya Red study dates aren't just straight studying. You need to cut loose once in a while," Casey said as he walked his bike down the street.

"Hey I cut loose. You wouldn't believe some of the crazy stuff I do," April replied.

"Like what being a science Olympian?" the boy replied with a smirk.

April just smirked at him and replied, "You like pushing buttons don't you Jones?"

A noise from down the alley caught the group's attention and all three teens looked shocked and horrified to see a creature coming towards them.

_'April friend!' _it cried out.

_'Donny's monster!...Can't I go a month without being attacked by a mutant' _April thought to herself annoyed as she tugged Maya behind her.

Before she could think of a plan an arm reached across her face and turned and gave an annoyed look to Casey Jones.

"What do you think you're doing?" April asked.

"Whatever that thing is its completely evil and cool looking…I handle this sweetheart you ladies just hang tight," the black haired teen said before he ran at the creature.

"Sweetheart?" April replied annoyed before looking behind her at Maya who still looked scared.

"Just stay here ok I got this," April said pulling out her fan and running after Casey.

The boy had been chucking garbage at the creature before he ran and slammed the metal pipe into the glass hoping it would shatter. He noticed it didn't even make a dent before he was suddenly picked up and thrown across the alley slamming into the wall. He heard the sounds of another battle cry and looked up to see April holding her own against the mutant using a fan of all things.

"I like what I see," Casey said impressed.

Maya who had been standing back thought desperately of a way that she could help her friends without exposing herself. Finally an idea came to her, she took a deep breath before a look of pain overtook her features. Forcing the transformation from her arm Maya looked down to see her hand to her elbow were bluish grey. Holding her hand up to her face she concentrated on making her sharp nails grow several inches until they looked like claws When she was satisfied with the length Maya used one to prick the palm of her hand and cover her nails in her own blood before pulling her sleeve down.

Maya quickly ran at the creature before jumping on his back and stabbing her nails into the creature's arm. Immediately the green mutant began to feel sick as he grabbed the girl on his back and threw her down the alley.

Both April and Casey were lying dazed on the ground not realizing that Maya was even there until they heard her cry out as she was being thrown.

"Maya!" April cried before she got up as fast as she could and ran over to her friend.

When she got to her all she saw was the monster standing over the tiny girl and blood all over Maya's hands.

"Get away from her now!" April cried before she kicked the creature away from the silver haired teen.

Maya had worked fast to make sure she changed her arm back before April had gotten to her. The silver haired girl smiled silently as her friend fussed over her making sure she was ok.

"Do not be troubled, this one is fine. This one landed on a rock," Maya explained picking up a sharp blood covered rock.

April breathed a sigh of relief before she smiled at the smaller girl until the sound of the creature returned. Instinctively April wrapped her arms protectively around Maya trying to think of a plan when suddenly the mutant was sent flying and Casey stood before them.

Swinging a pipe in one hand and holding his bike up in the other he smirked at them and said, "Your chariot m'ladies."

The teen steadied the bike between his legs as he helped Maya to sit on the handle bars and April climbed on back. When Casey was sure both girls wouldn't fall off he peddled as fast as he could leaving the crumpled heap that was their enemy behind.

Pulverizer stood up screaming April's name, as he tried to run after them something stopped him. He had just enough time to stare down at his arm before his whole right side gave out on him and he dropped to the ground like a ton of bricks. Mikey and Raph who had not been far behind found Pulverizer in the alley. The first thing they noticed was that the mutagen in his right arm looked like it had swirls of red in it turning the mutagen a greenish orange colour.

Raph noticed his little brother started sniffing the air and raised an eyebrow as he watched Mikey walk around the alley sniffing until he stopped and knelt in front of something.

"You find something there Scooby?" Raph asked sarcastically as he stood near Pulverizer.

"It's blood…Maya's blood," Mikey replied uncharacteristically serious.

Raph's eyes turned into dinner plates before he replied, "Why the hell would Maya's blood be here…or in him?"

"That's a good question," Mikey replied before he walked over, swung the blob mutant over and slammed his foot down on the glass looking furious.

"What did you do to my friend?" the orange masked turtle demanded as he pulled out his nun chucks.

_'Friend…April…' _it replied.

Mikey slammed one of his weapons into the glass causing a slight crack in the thick glass before he said, "you tell me where she is now or…"

The small turtle stopped when he saw the puncture holes in the mutant's arms and all at once he started to calm down.

"Come on Mikey this isn't helping," Raph said trying to pull the smaller turtle off the creature.

Slowly the younger turtle listened to his brother and stepped away from the mutant. Suddenly the mutant burst up knocking Raph to the ground and sending Mikey flying into a dumpster that flew onto its lid trapping the turtle inside.

"Mikey!" Raph cried before he turned to face his captor as the sounds of acid dripped down melting the ground around him.

Before Pulverizer could hurt Raph Leo ran by slicing the mutant's hand off. Leo went to attack the creature again but Donny stopped him.

"Don't hurt him it's not his fault. He was just trying to make April our friend again," Donny said.

_'NO! April my friend! Turtles hurt April…hurt me…destroy turtles!' _the creature said as it created a new mutagen hand and went to attack the four brothers.

Before he reached them the red swirls of Maya's blood spread through Pulverizer's arm seeping into the mutant's tank that held his body. The turtles watched in shock as the blood changed the colour of the water in the tank and the sound of chocking could be heard through the speaker.

Without thinking twice Donny ran at the creature and hit a button draining the fluid from the tank. As it released the life preserving liquid it also released the poisonous mutagen that was hurting Pulverizer.

"Quick we need to get him back into the shellraiser," Donny said.

The four brothers quickly got to work grabbing the creature and putting him into the back of the van. They all drove in silence as Donny quickly filled Timothy's canister with the liquid he needed to survive in the tank.

"Why are we bringing him back to the lair?" Raph asked annoyed.

"He's still a living person Raph and it's our fault he's like this," Donny replied sitting beside his friend.

"What was that in his arm that made him go loopy," Leo asked curiously.

"Maya's blood," Mikey answered simply making his brother's turn to him in shock.

As the brothers spoke no one noticed Timothy using his limb to slink across the vehicle to where Donny's had mutagen sitting on the counter of his lab secured in a vile.

"What was Maya's blood doing in Timothy?" Donny asked feeling scared that Timothy might have hurt someone.

Mikey looked like he was hesitant to answer until finally he explained, "mermaid blood is like poison to anything it touches if the mermaid doesn't give consent for it to be used…Defense mechanickel."

"Defence mechanism Mikey…do you think she's ok should we go look for her?" Leo replied concerned.

"Let's get Timothy where he can't hurt anyone else and then go after Maya," Donny said.

The tech savvy turtle looked down and his face became horrified when he looked at his friend. Timothy had tried to get himself more mutagen and ended up drinking a failed retro mutagen that froze the creature frozen solid.

"Timothy no!" Donny cried.

The other three brothers looked back to see Pulverizer was completely frozen solid on the floor of the shellraiser. Thankfully Timothy was moving his eyes around indicating that he was indeed still alive inside the canister.

_'Donny…help'_

"Its ok buddy don't be scared. I promise I'm going to find a cure," Donny said to him gently as he stared at the creature concerned.

Silence filled the vehicle as they drove back to the lair to get Timothy back into the lab where he could get some help. As they drove Pulverizer looked up at the tech savvy turtle and saw how scared the teen was for him. Somewhere deep inside the mutant he could feel his human emotions telling him that he among friends…and he had tried to hurt those friends who were trying to help him.

_'Donny' _Timothy said.

When his purple masked friend looked at him he said _'Sorry Donny'_

Donny smiled at the mutagen creature before he replied, "Me to pal. I'm gonna get you better I swear it."

…

The four turtles found Maya by tracing her phone and were relieved to see that she was ok with only a black bandanna wrapped around her hand. They were surprised to see her sitting on the handle bars of a bicycle with April and a teenage boy with black hair.

"Thanks for walking us home Casey," April said giving the boy a warm smile.

"No problem Red…seemed right after everything," the boy replied.

As she started to walk up the stairs to her home Casey called out her name and she turned to face her friends once more.

"We made a pretty good team tonight. You're a hell of a tutor," Casey said smiling.

The red head chuckled before she said, "Well thank you very much."

"Now you make sure she gets home safely Jones. Anymore scratches on her and I'm coming after you and kicking your but," April said.

"Yes Ma'am," Casey replied saluting before looking down at the girl on his handle bars.

"We're going off every ramp on the way to your place Gidget," Casey said before he started peddling as fast as he could.

"HEY BE CAREFUL WITH HER!" April screamed but all she heard in reply was Maya yelling 'wheee!'

"It's like human versions of Mikey and Raph," she chuckled to herself when she felt a tightness in her chest once again.

Pulling out her t-phone she gazed longingly at the picture of the five of them on her display picture before it was flooded with missed calls. The red head stared at them in shock and realized they were all from tonight.

_'I said all those awful things to them and they're still watching my back' _she thought to herself feeling a bit guilty.

Looking away from the phone April looked up at the stars with a sad smile before she whispered, "Thanks guys…I miss you."

A beep caught the girl's attention and she looked down to see a text message.

_'Anytime. We miss you to._

_-D_

* * *

Poor Donny I feel for the bro in the friendzone :( Anyway that's all for now don't forget to review :)


	10. Chapter 10

I am so so sorry for the delay on this I just started a new job last week so now I have two jobs and I'm a little sleepy . . Anyway love how many people are enjoying this story I'll be sure try and keep updating often. Enjoy :)

* * *

Donny stared at the image in front of him before taking yet another screen shot. He still couldn't believe how lucky he was to be able to be the first to study something of this magnitude.

_'Donatello did you get what you needed?'_

"Oh you bet I did. I can't believe I actually have an x-ray of a living, breathing mermaid," the purple banded turtle squealed like a crazed fan girl.

He looked over to the mermaid who was laying contently in a long deep tub filled with water. She had been allowing the tech savvy turtle to take internal scans of her body so he could study her species. Maya watched contently as Donny walked around the lab grabbing equipment looking like a kid at Christmas.

"So Maya lore says that mermaids sing, is that true?" Donny asked as he gathered his things.

_'That is correct but it sounds very different then what you call singing. On land it would sound similar to a wordless melody but underwater it sounds more like whale singing,' _Maya explained.

Donny nodded before he asked, "why is singing so important to you guys? From what I could find…and no offense of course…but it says you sing to lure sailors to their watery graves."

Maya silently chuckled to herself before she said _'Humans have a bad habit of making things about them. The 'singing' is actually our language that we share with other creatures such as whales, dolphins and sharks…however decades ago if sailors crossed into a pod's territory the merfolk would do what was necessary to protect it. The only time we've deliberately exposed ourselves to human sailors was to sing to them when their…what is word?'_

Donny thought for a minute before he realized what word she was looking for and answered, "Boat."

_'Oh Yes. Their boat got to close to rocks and things like that.'_

"Fascinating…So you guys only kill in self defense?" Donny asked.

_'Mostly yes but like in all species some people are just jerks' _Maya explained.

Donny chuckled at the comment as his other three brothers walked in tired of waiting for them in the common area of the lair.

"How's it going in here?" Leo asked sitting down in a wheelie chair.

"Oh you know nothing out of the ordinary except for the fact that I get to study a freaking mermaid! This is awesome!...Did you guys know that a mermaid's position in the pod is defined by their coming of age hunt? Cause I know that now," Donny said excited.

"Oh ya and their hunting weapons are made out of the strongest parts of their first prey, usually like the bones and stuff like that," Mikey explained casually while his brothers stared at him dumbfounded.

When he saw the expressions on their faces the youngest turtle and huffed in annoyance before he replied, "friends with a mermaid bros I'm gonna pick up a few things."

The purple masked brother turned his attention back to Maya before he asked, "So, why are mermaids so scared of people if you guys are able to defend yourselves?"

Maya looked hesitant before she explained, _'humans were cruel to our kind…they hunted us for sport so that could consume our flesh and become immortal. The silly creatures had no idea that it was our blood that had healing qualities and you needed the mermaid's permission first. Without consent the blood becomes poison….it wasn't until they slaughtered thousands of us that they understood their sin. Desperate to protect what we had left of our kind we went into hiding following the migration patterns of whales, dolphins and sharks.'_

The turtles looked horrified by the idea of someone hunting down Maya and her family only to kill and eat her. It definitely made sense now why she looked so scared the day she saved Michelangelo. It wasn't just about them knowing what she was but her very life, the secret of her people's existence were in danger. All of this, she jeopardized for the sake of one life that she valued more than any treasure the world could offer her.

"Alright, so I understand mermaids are territorial and are scared of humans. What I don't get is why live among the thing that terrifies you guys most…and how the heck to you grow legs?" Raph asked.

Maya smiled at the red masked turtle before she replied, _'the best way to hide is in plain sight. Besides humans are fascinating to study. Many pods reside on the land in quiet areas protecting each other for the sake of our species. Many take over whole apartment buildings only accepting certain tenants like ours. As for the transformation, it is illusion magic that mermaids have possessed since our creation.'_

"That's so brilliant," Leo replied in amazement.

A thought came to the tech savvy turtle before he asked, "if your blood has healing properties…do you think it could create a retro mutagen?"

Maya seemed deep in thought for a moment before she replied, '_this one doesn't know for sure but there is no harm in trying.'_

"Are you sure?" Donny replied.

_'Yes. Besides having a vile of consenting blood could be a handy healing tool in a pinch' _Maya explained.

Donny nodded before he quickly got to work gathering the equipment he needed to gather the blood. Michelangelo quickly walked over and sat beside his friend staring at his brother as he worked.

"What are you gonna do with that stuff?" Mikey asked his older brother.

"Just taking a bit of her blood. I promise I won't hurt her Mikey," Donny assured the orange masked turtle.

Donny had the needle ready a minute later and held it up as he looked over at Maya waiting for her permission to insert the needle into her arm. The silver haired girl nodded with a smile before she closed her eyes and began humming. The melody was hypnotic as it seemed to vibrate off of everything in the room instantly making the brothers feel really relaxed and calm.

"Aww ya I love this song!" Mikey said swaying back and forth.

"What is it?" Donny mumbled trying to concentrate on putting the needle in the girl's arm.

_'This one is commanding the blood to your will Donatello' _Maya explained in the purple masked turtle's mind as she continued to hum.

"My sons what is that sound?" Master Splinter asked walking into the lab with an awestruck expression on his face.

"Maya is singing to her blood," Mikey explained casually.

"Do I want to know why Maya is singing to her blood?" the sensei replied.

_'Donatello needed the blood of a virgin to fuel his creature of the night' _Maya said in a serious tone of voice along with a very serious expression.

The Hamato family stared at the young girl with a mixture of horror and shock until Mikey burst out laughing along with Maya.

"You totally stole that from one of the movies from the monster marathon we watched last week," the orange masked turtle chuckled.

Maya giggled before she replied, '_this one couldn't resist it was this one's favorite one.'_

Leo couldn't help chuckling at his youngest brother and his tiny silver haired friend before he commented to Raph, "it's like they were made for each other."

The red masked turtle crossed his arms before he replied, "Yup. Like two nuts in a crazy house."

Master Splinter gave his second oldest a warning look before turning his attention to Donatello. He observed as his purple masked son carefully pulled the needle out of Maya's arms that was connected to a vial that held her blood.

"My son training will begin soon. Did you really need to do this now? Maya may not be at her best for her training," Master Splinter scolded gently.

_'This one is fine, do not be troubled. Our species is used to battling with open wounds without medical attention. Trust this one when she says that it will take more than a little needle to keep this one down' _Maya explained quickly not wanting to get Donatello in trouble.

Splinter stared at the girl with an intense expression before sighing in defeat and said, "very well…did you bring your weapons?"

Maya nodded enthusiastically and was about to jump out of the tub when Donny stopped her from her task.

"Hold your seahorses I still gotta clean that really quick," Donny told her before turning to his father.

"It will just take a second sensei I promise," he explained.

"Very well. Make haste training begins in exactly ten minutes," Splinter said before leaving the room.

As Maya picked out her Band-Aid and Donny cleaned her cut, the remaining brothers followed after their father to the dojo.

…

As the three remaining brothers sat in the dojo with their father Leo and Raph chuckled to themselves wondering what kind of cliché weapon Maya would have.

"My money is on a trident. Bet you _anything _it's a trident," Raph chuckled.

"Come one have you seen the size of Maya? It's probably some little spear or something like Donny's," Leo replied.

"It's neither or those things so knock it off," Mikey replied as he glared at his brothers.

"Oh come on Mikey we're just having a little fun," Raph replied.

"Raphael! You will not tease Maya in anyway. She is far from her family and has not trained since last she saw them. Be kind both of you," Splinter scolded his sons.

"Yes sensei," both boys replied sheepishly.

Just then Donny and Maya in her human form walked in chatting and giggling together as Maya carried a hockey bag with her. There was something clearly poking out of the bag and none of the brothers needed to be told that the bulge was Maya's weapons. They began to get excited as Maya placed the bag down beside her.

"Maya thank you for joining us," Master Splinter said to the girl.

"Please, show us your weapons," the rat added gesturing to the bag.

The tiny girl nodded before she opened her bag and reached inside with both hands. When she pulled them out again her hands were grasping two large sharp sticks that looked as though they made of bone. Each one was at least 4 feet long and maybe had a radius of only a couple of inches. Maya had a big smile on her face as she turned her attention to Leo and Raph as she held her weapons proudly.

"Actually they're narwhal tusks. They were this one's first kill," Maya explained confirming that she heard the brothers talking about her from the other room.

Master Splinter admired the weapons the girl possessed while Mikey gave his shocked brothers a smug look.

"She's gonna turn us into turtlekabobs with those things isn't she?" Raph asked Leo reluctantly.

"Probably," Leo replied.

"Child how on Earth did you manage to take down two narwhals?" Splinter asked in shock.

The mermaid looked bashful all of a sudden before she explained, "this one strayed from the pod to explore some coral…by the time this one realized how far ahead the pod was the first narwhal was already coming in for the kill. This one cried out but the pod was already out of sight so this one swam for her life. It was then the second narwhal came and tried to attack this one by trying to stab this one's tail fin. They circled around trapping this one in between them toying until they decided to kill their prey at last. Finally they attacked, they tried to stab this one with their tusks at the same time but this one twisted her body so that instead of stabbing their prey they stabbed each other through their eyes and out through their skulls. The pod found this one stuck between the two beasts and had to pry them apart to release this one. Everyone feasted hearty that night and this one's family was proud…my brothers were so proud that they made my weapons for me out of the tusks and trained me to use them."

Once again the mutant family noticed the sad smile on the girl's face when she spoke of her brothers, as if there was some tragic secret she wasn't telling them.

"Very clever way to deceive your enemy," Splinter said.

Maya blushed at the compliment before she replied, "not really. The narwhals managed to still stab this one as this one was turning sideways."

She lifted her shirt enough so that sharp angry scars could be seen going across her belly and back where the beasts had managed to graze her skin.

"How did I not notice those while I was examining you?" Donny asked in shock inspecting the scars for himself.

"You were very excited about being able to study this one. This one imagines that had something to do with it," Maya replied with a chuckle.

Neither Maya nor Donny noticed Master Splinter silently approach them until he was gently resting a paw on one of the angry scars that marred the girl's flesh. It bothered the father of four to see the closed wounds. It was not unusual for his sons to have scars from battles and sparring but the idea of something maliciously hunting down one of his children while they had strayed from his side made his blood boil.

"You protected yourself well. Be proud of these scars for they tell a story of survival," Splinter said to the girl gently.

Maya smiled shyly at the former human and nodded before he rose back to his full height and rested both paws on his walking stick.

"Come. I think I speak for all of my family when I say I'd love to see a demonstration of your skill," Splinter said returning to his seat as Maya went to the middle of the dojo holding her weapons.

Once he was seated Splinter looked at Maya and bowed his head slightly before he said, "you may begin when ready."

The silver haired teen nodded as she stood tall with her weapons to her side when she saw the training dummies fall from the ceiling to surround her. Taking a deep breath she began spinning the tusks, gracefully she held one of her weapons above her head and the other at her hip before she twirled her body around the inside of the circle. As she continued to move she began elegantly swing the tusks up and down as well as side to side before she suddenly stopped holding the tusks in front of her chest making the shape of an x with them. All was silent for a few moments before the dummies dropped and Maya disappeared into a cloud of sand. Mikey quickly got to his feet without his father's permission and ran to his friend when he heard her coughing fit.

"Maya you ok?" Mikey asked once the dust cloud finally dissipated.

"This one is fine…was not expecting the sand," the girl said bashfully making Mikey chuckle as he ruffled her hair.

Splinter rose to his feet and approached the pair before inspecting what was left of the training dummies and chuckled at what he found. In those few quick movements that he had seen the child preform she had decapitated all the dummies as well as removed their arms and legs. He then noticed the chests were ripped open in a T shape.

Splinter held up the remains of one of the dummies before looking over at his oldest three sons in amusement as they knelt before him and asked, "Which of you will be her first victim?"

The boys gulped before they cautiously turned around to look at the girl who although covered head to toe in sand, had a big smile on her face as she waved at them cheerfully with one of her weapons.

"I vote Donny…she's least likely to kill him," Raph said quickly.

"Raph!" the tech savvy turtle replied angrily.

"Actually my son I have to agree that would be a most interesting pairing," Splinter replied.

Donny huffed before he mumbled, "Why does Mikey always have to pick scary friends?"

Splinter gave his purple masked son an encouraging nod before turning to his remaining sons and said, "Michelangelo, Raphael…you will both work together against Leonardo."

The orange masked turtle excitedly jogged over to his hot head brother before fist bumping the red masked turtle.

"Ready to beat the green off Fearless Mikey?" Raph joked.

"Shell ya!" the youngest replied.

"Green and blue don't suit you bro. Black and blue sound more up your alley," Raph taunted his older brother with a smirk.

"Black and blue…or white and gold," Mikey replied in a suspenseful voice.

Both of the older turtles looked at each other in confusion before shaking their heads and giving their youngest a ridiculous look.

"Let's just start the match shell for brains," the red masked turtle said in annoyance.

…

Splinter watched both pairs for a while throughout the training session. At first he closely watched his oldest son take on his two younger brothers. Raphael and Michelangelo were a good team together covering each other's back as well as attacking in sync with one another. It was no wonder that Leonardo had a difficult time taking the pair on but in the end he was able to demonstrate his strength as their team leader.

The former human turned his eyes over to Donatello and Maya who seemed to be doing well sparing however Splinter noticed something odd. The tiny silver haired girl seemed to refuse to attack her opponent at all. When Donatello attacked, Maya would simply block or dodge the assaults trying to disarm her opponent rather than take him down. Finally Donatello knocked Maya to the ground and rested the end of his boa to her chest.

"Yame!" Splinter shouted making everyone stop what they were doing instantly before kneeling on the ground while their sensei paced behind them.

"You did well all of you but there is still room for improvement. Leonardo although the victory was yours in the end was out of sheer luck. You already know your opponents weaknesses in battle so I expected this to be a shorter battle, we will work on fighting multiple opponents later on," Splinter said standing behind his son.

"Yes sensei," Leo automatically responded already thinking of how to improve himself through training on his own.

"Raphael, Michelangelo although you two are naturally in sync with one another you must practice the art of speaking silently. I will create exercises for you both to work on together to master this skill" the sensei said walking behind his sons.

"Great idea Sensei. Teach Mikey to be just as obnoxious silently as he is verbally," Raph mumbled sarcastically earning himself a snap from his father's tail to the back of his head.

"Donatello you need to practice you speed, it took you too long to take down an opponent that was not attacking you. As with your brothers there will be private training with me to work on it," Splinter explained.

"S-sorry sensei," Donny said bashfully. The turtle had always felt a bit self-conscious about being the slowest of his brothers physically.

Splinter nodded as he walked around so that he was facing Maya before he said, "last but not least my newest pupil. When I assign you an opponent I expect you to treat that opponent as if he were an enemy of your pod."

"Sorry Master Splinter. This one tried to picture the enemy but all this one could see was Donatello and couldn't hurt this one's friend," Maya whispered looking to the ground.

Master Splinter gave the girl a strange look before he asked, "Do your people do not train against one another?"

Maya shook her head and answered, "One shall never raise their weapon to a member of their pod in any circumstance other than exile. We demonstrate the movements on prey already killed."

"I see," Splinter replied.

"However we will instinctively attack if we feel a member of our pod is endangered in any way," Maya added innocently.

The wheels did indeed begin to turn in Splinter's head as an idea formed in his mind and he turned to Maya and Donatello.

"We shall focus on it…"

Splinter was cut off by the sound of giggling echoing throughout the layer. Six heads turned to see ten month old Caspian crawling over to them with a big smile on his face as he babbled away happily.

"Forgive the disruption the boy is sneaky," Isla said following after the infant.

"It is a most welcome disruption," Splinter said picking up the baby before turning to the teenagers still kneeling on the ground.

"I cannot thank you enough for allowing this," Isla said gratefully to the former human.

Splinter bowed his head before he replied, "the honor is mine is to be able to witness this child's first swim."

A sucking sound caught the attention of both sensei and mother before they looked down to see that the baby Splinter held in his arms was currently sucking on his beard.

A smile spread on the former human's face before he said, "it appears I have another Leonardo on my hands."

"Sensei please tell me I did not suck on your beard," Leo said horrified with embarrassment.

"I'm afraid it's true," Splinter replied making his sons all burst out laughing at the image of their leader sucking on a beard.

"In fact _all_ of you had some fascination with a part of my body. Leonardo was my beard, Raphael enjoyed biting my nose which felt extra strange when he had no teeth, Donatello pulled my whiskers, and Michelangelo I think was the most tolerable," Splinter explained.

"What did he do?" Maya asked in amusement as she watched all four turtles blush and stare at the floor in shame and embarrassment.

"He was obsessed with my tail and how he could play with it. He would often sit on a pillow and I would pull him around the lair wherever I went," the rat chuckled gently tugging his beard back from the infant.

"How cute," Isla at the thought of the turtles as babies.

Splinter gave the woman an annoyed look and said, "It's less cute when Michelangelo asks for a 'Splinter ride' every year for his mutation day present."

Suddenly Michelangelo popped his head up with puppy dog eyes and said in a childish voice, "Splinter ride?"

"No," Splinter replied bluntly.

"Tease," Mikey scoffed as he crossed his arms grumpily.

…

Donny was especially excited to be able to witness a baby mermaid take its first swim. He been working on a water proof video recorder just for the occasion. He started filming just as Isla and Caspian were walking over to the pool that was in the lair. Mikey and Maya had already dived into the water and were waiting for the big moment to begin. Leo and Raph were standing with Master Splinter at the edge of the pool so they could get a good look at the main event. They watched as the young mother walked over to the water with her baby before stopping at the edge of the water and smiling down at her baby placing a gentle kiss on his head.

Before any of them could react Isla tossed the baby into the air before Caspian fell into the water below squealing in delight. Just before any of the turtles could start panicking the baby rose to the surface no longer as a human but as an adorable little mermaid with huge silver eyes. Maya began humming and Caspian quickly turned to see his aunt and smiled happily as he bobbed in the water.

"Come on buddy. Come to Mikey," the orange masked turtle encouraged but the baby wouldn't budge only tilting his head in confusion.

Another splash rippled through the water and from under the water Isla appeared in her mermaid form swimming towards the baby. Soon Isla had her baby in her arms once more and grasped the child's arms to guide Caspian onto her back and wrapped the tiny arms around her neck. Isla dived under the water once more with the baby followed by Maya.

"Donny pass me your camera," Mikey said.

The tech savvy turtle nodded before tossing his camera to his younger brother. The orange masked turtle then disappeared underneath the water. The rest of the Hamato family stood by anxiously when the youngest turtle popped back up to the surface.

"Guys you gotta see this," Mikey said before diving back under not waiting for his brothers.

The three older turtles looked at each other reluctantly before diving in after Michelangelo. When they found them the three brothers stopped and watched in amazement at what they were seeing. Caspian hovered as he watched his mother and aunt swimming around him before looking down at his own tail and swishing it back and forth. Both mermaids hummed at the baby encouraging him to swim as they circled him protectively. Caspian then looked over to Mikey who was motioning for the baby to swim towards him with one arm as he held the camera with the other.

The baby smiled at the turtle before he leaned forward and allowed the water to carry his body and slowly swishing his tail fins up and down. Then his tail began moving, then his lower body followed by his upper body until finally the little boy was using his arms to control his movements until finally he had swam over to Mikey who quickly pulled him into a tight hug.

Maya and Isla sang in delight of the baby hitting his milestone as they swam towards him and Michelangelo. Leo, Raph and Donny swam over caught up in the excitement of watching the incredible moment they had forgotten they were underwater and cheered for the baby. They all took turns twirling the baby and hugging each other before all four turtles realized they needed air. Maya took the camera from Mikey before he swam up with his brothers so she could keep filming for Donny.

When the brothers reached the surface they were all gasping for air as they held onto the ledge and laughing in excitement.

"I take it that the lesson is going well," Splinter said.

"It was incredible sensei!" Leo shouted in amazement.

"Ya at first the kid was just watchin' 'em and then out of nowhere he's swimming over to Mikey like a champ!" Raph recalled just as excited.

"Mikey filmed the whole thing. I cannot wait to see it from his point of view," Donny exclaimed.

Splinter chuckled at his sons and their excitement for the young child's accomplishment. Now his sons knew the pride he felt whenever he was blessed to witness one of their accomplishments.

"Well what are you waiting for go on? I wish to see this as well," the sensei said happily.

All four brothers quickly realized they had left the camera under the water and quickly dived back down to where the mermaid family was. When they returned they were in awe to see the baby swimming alongside his mother having no trouble keeping up with her.

_'He is strong like his parents' _Maya said as she watched the mother and baby swim through the deep pool.

It was Leo who looked away to see Maya looking as if this moment was bittersweet for her. He watched as Mikey looked over at his friend before he wrapped an arm around her and pulled her to his side as if he was comforting her about something.

_'This has something to do with her brothers. Where are they?' _the turtle thought to himself almost angrily when the very thought of leaving his brothers behind made his heart want to break.

The oldest brother raised an eyebrow at the pair deciding he was determined to find out more about what had happened to Maya's family and why they were so far away from her when she, Isla and Caspian clearly needed them.

* * *

Okie dokie all done for now. You guys know what to do so review please and tell me what you think. Till then take care and stay safe :)


	11. Chapter 11

Hello everyone! Hope you are all enjoying your long weekend if you are so lucky to have one :) Anyway on with the chapter enjoy readers!

* * *

When they returned to the surface Splinter was waiting for them with towels for them all. He passed one to each of his sons as they got out of the water telling them all to dry off before they caught a cold. When Isla emerged from the water with her son Splinter smiled at the pair before holding out a towel for Caspian. As she floated in the water, Isla passed up her precious bundle to Splinter before he took the child from her arms and wrapped him up in the towel holding the baby against his chest.

"Now we must work on your walking so that we may start training you with your aunt," the sensei commented smiling over at Maya.

Mikey just had finished drying off when he noticed Maya still in the water smiling at Master Splinter and Caspian. Without a word Mikey walked over with a towel and held it out in front of him before clearing his throat to get Maya's attention. When Maya turned her attention to the source of the sound she smiled when she saw it was Michelangelo.

Silently the mermaid rested her hands on the ledge of the pool before pushing her body out of the water until she was in a complete hand stand facing away from Mikey with her tail straight up into the air. Then slowly her tail split in two revealing a pair of human legs that scissor flipped behind her so that when she was right side up she was a human girl facing Michelangelo who was holding the towel so that he was perfectly covering up his friend's naked body.

Both teens chuckled as Mikey helped Maya wrap the towel around herself. The three older turtles stared with their jaws to the floor as their baby brother tightened the towel under Maya's left armpit. Splinter looked on in surprise before turning to Isla.

"I thought mermaids needed their gills to dry before they could make the change," Splinter said to the woman as she pushed herself into a sitting position on the ledge of the pool.

_'Maya is considered quite powerful amongst our pod both as a hunter and with her magic. If not for her size she would have been chosen to lead next. She is one of the handfuls of our species who is capable of conducting the half change.' _Isla explained.

"What is the half change?" Master Splinter asked.

Isla seemed hesitant to explain before she finally answered _'the half change means that Maya can control her human transformation. If she wishes for only half of herself to return to our original form she can do that, if she wishes for her mermaid hands while still human she can make it so.'_

"Incredible," Splinter replied in amazement.

The sound of giggling interrupted the pair's conversation and they looked over to see an interesting sight. Michelangelo had his head leaned in against Maya's as they whispered and chuckled about something that no one else could here, not even Master Splinter or Isla.

"This will probably not end well," Splinter said recognizing the mischievous face of his youngest son.

"What won't end well?" Isla asked now in her human form with a towel wrapped around herself.

Splinter helped the woman to her feet before he explained, "oh you will see. Can I offer you some tea…in another room perhaps?"

"Sounds lovely this one is sure Caspian is probably also hungry," Isla chuckled watching her son fuss in the former human's arms.

When the pair had walked into the kitchen, Isla barely had time to sit in the chair offered to her by Master Splinter before the sound of Mikey's chuckle as he darted into the shadows could be heard throughout the home.

…

Mikey and Maya had been whispering and chuckling to each other but they were also secretly spying on the unsuspecting turtles. They watched as the trio slowly went off their separate ways before they put their plan into motion. The mermaid quickly put her clothes on as Mikey used the shadows to chase after his brothers.

Raph walked up to his room but his ninja senses were tingling as he sensed something or some_one _following him down the hall. The hothead put his hand on the doorknob before his head suddenly shot around behind him hoping to catch his stalker off guard but found nothing behind him. With a suspicious glare Raph turned back around and opened the door to his room.

The red masked turtle's eyes went wide as saucers when he found himself face to face with his orange masked baby brother holding an egg.

"BOOYAKASHA!" Mikey yelled before he slammed the egg onto his brother's head knocking the bigger turtle flat on his back before running for his life.

As the dazed and furious Raphael sat up he heard his brother yell, "how's that for stealth bro!"

Fury did not begin to describe how the turtle was feeling in that moment as he stood up. As he watched his brother's departing form he could actually feel the egg on his head starting to cook sunny side up.

…

Donatello had his head resting in his hands as he watched the video they had just filmed of Caspian's first swim in his natural merman form.

_'He really is a cute little guy' _Donny thought to himself as he watched Caspian swim up to the camera and try to eat it by wrapping his mouth around the lens giving a great view of the inside of his mouth.

"Well that's one way to see what the inside of a merbaby looks like," Donny commented to himself before he chuckled at the baby licking the screen.

As he watched the footage of the baby swimming back towards his mother he couldn't help thinking about what it would be like. The tech savvy turtle couldn't speak for his brothers but he knew the idea of falling in love and having kids like normal people was something he had thought about more than once.

_'Ya right Donny like any girl in her right mind would want to make turtle babies with you' _the purple masked turtle thought bitterly.

The sound of someone whistling caught Donny's attention and looked up only to have his look of confusion turn into horrified shock.

There was Michelangelo hiding in the rafters of his lab doing a perfect sideways split holding half a dozen eggs in his hands.

"Wanna know what goes really good with a movie bro?" Mikey said before he let go of the eggs and let them smash on his brother's head.

"Scrambled eggs son!" Mikey yelled before swinging down and running out of the lab laughing manically.

As Donny wiped the yolk and egg whites off of his face he looked at the direction he saw his little brother run off in and cracked his neck.

"I'm gonna enjoy being the youngest after I kill him," Donny hissed before grabbing his bo staff and chased after the brat known as Michelangelo.

…

Leo had walked into the dojo to practice a few katas as everyone settled down after the swimming lesson. He had to admit it was pretty cool to be able to watch the little guy take his first swim…hell it was cool to see live mermaids swimming before his eyes.

The leader smiled as he thought back to how proud the baby had been of himself when he'd gotten the hang of swimming and how excited they all were for him.

_'I wonder if that was how Master Splinter felt whenever we did something like that' _Leo thought feeling connected to his father as he thought about the excitement his sensei expressed when he and his brothers perfected their first katas.

Suddenly he remembered the looks on Maya and Isla as they watched Caspian swim for the first time. They looked sad like something or someone was missing from this moment and knew that those expressions had something to do with their family.

_'What could have happened to them?' _Leo thought to himself when out of the corner of his eye he saw Maya's bag.

He had no idea what possessed him to do so but slowly he walked towards it before he noticed two well used looking sketch books spilled open on either side of the hockey bag.

"She must have dropped them by accident when she pulled out her weapons," Leo mumbled to himself before picking up the books and turning them over.

He was surprised to see that the first sketch book had his brother's name scribbled on the front of the cover. Curiosity got the best of him and the oldest turtle slowly opened the book to reveal his brother's artwork.

Page after page was filled to the brim of cartoon characters and comic book heroes that slowly over time had improved more and more. As he got deeper into the book Leo was overwhelmed to see life like drawings of all of them.

"Wow," Leo said getting choked up to see him and their family through the youngest turtle's eyes.

When he saw the pictures of Maya he couldn't help chuckling at the images he had drawn of his friend. Most of them were drawings of Maya sitting across from him concentrating on her own drawings, relaxing in the tub in her mermaid form and her with her small family.

With as much care as he could muster Leonardo gently put down the art book before patting it gently feeling like he had just had a rare opportunity to see the world through his baby brother.

He then turned his attention to the other sketchbook and bit his cheek debating about whether or not he should open it. With a sigh Leonardo slowly opened the book to see an amazing image of dozens of mermaids that looked just like Maya and Isla. As he skimmed through he slowly started to see distinctions among the different people in the drawings. He smiled when he recognized Maya with her big curious eyes and Isla smiling gently with a swollen belly.

Leo smirked when he saw one merboy holding Maya's weapons above his head and Maya looking absolutely pissed off. On the next page the same merboy was hugging a bruised Maya while glaring at a pair of merboys who looked dazed as they leaned against one another as if they had their heads slammed together.

"What do ya know, there's a half fish half Ralph in Maya's pod," Leo chuckled to himself.

On another page both Maya and the boy Leo assumed was her brother looked like they were in the middle of training with an older merman correcting Maya's form. There seemed to be a lot of pictures of this guy. Mystery guy swimming beside a giant of a merman that Leo would never want to cross, and mystery guy ruffling Maya's hair as he held her protectively in his arms. It dawned on the blue masked turtle who this person was when he saw the last picture of mystery guy grasping Isla's belly protectively with one hand and the other behind Isla's head pressing the mermaid into a loving kiss.

_'Maya's oldest brother' _Leo realized and skimmed further into the book to see if he could find any clues but came up empty.

"C'mon what happened to you?" Leo whispered frustrated.

Repeatedly Leo flipped through the pages until he stopped on a page that both shocked and amused him.

Leo chuckled as before him was a picture of Michelangelo sitting across from her concentrating on his own drawing, pictures of the fun loving turtle planning a prank, playing with Caspian, and to Leo's pleasant surprise practicing his katas at her apartment showing off his 'chucking skills.'

"Mikey you are one lucky turtle," Leo said out loud hoping his baby brother knew just how blessed he was to have someone that loved him as much as he loved her whether or not either one realized how deep that love was.

**_*Creek*_**

Leonardo quietly put the book back into the bag hoping Mikey couldn't see him snooping through Maya's sketchbook. He knew it was his baby brother by the way he moved in the shadows and the slight clinking of the chains of his nun chucks. Swiftly the oldest brother jumped away from the bag and looked into the general direction that he heard Mikey coming from.

He stood in a stance ready to fight when he suddenly felt something hard hit the back of his head. Quickly as he turned he heard something move across the room and once again his head assaulted by something hard hitting his head before something wet trickled down his back.

"Mikey…" Leo warned.

The giggling of the youngest turtle filled the dojo before suddenly Leo was hit by dozens of eggs being thrown at him via slingshots set up around the dojo.

"HA!" Mikey shouted and Leo turned around to see Mikey standing at the dojo entrance.

"PRANKENSTEIN STRIKES AGAIN!" the orange masked turtle shouted before he ran from the dojo.

Leo was jaw dropped in shock that his brother dared to do a prank like this to him. Immediately a smirk graced the leader's face as he prepared to hunt his brother down and make him pay.

"You're dead meat little brother," Leo hissed before running after Mikey.

…

All three brothers met at the pit looking at each other quickly only to realize that they had all been pranked by their baby brother. Without a word the turtles looked around for their youngest and quickly found him standing on the tire swing looking quite proud of himself as he swung back and forth. Maya sat on the tire cross legged and holding onto the ropes smiling just as proudly.

"Mikey get over here!" Raph demanded angrily.

"Why?" Mikey asked innocently.

"So we can skin you alive?!" Donny screamed furiously.

The orange masked turtle and the mermaid looked at each other before both looked back at the turtles innocently and said, "Why?"

"Why do you think?" Leo hissed as egg slimmed down his face.

Mikey nodded his head as if contemplating Leo's words before he looked down at Maya and said, "What I _think _bro is that you guys look like you got pooped on by a whole lot of chickens…what do you think Maya?"

Maya tilted her head to the side as an innocent smile graced her face. Gracefully she stretched her hand over the water palm down. Slowly she turned her palm to the ceiling and as she did a giant bubble of water floated out of the pool. The three oldest turtles looked horrified when they saw the giant bubble of water get bigger as it floated higher.

"This one thinks you need a bath…here let this one help," Maya said cheerfully before she sent the bubble flying at the brothers.

…

Master Splinter and Isla were happily enjoying their tea when three turtles screamed as they flew by the doorway against a giant bubble of water. Caspian was the first to notice the fly by turtles and giggled happily as he waved enthusiastically to them.

"Maya can control water," Splinter commented impressed.

"Mhmm,"Isla replied as she sipped the tea and nodded her head.

Splinter nodded his head before he got up and said, "Excuse me."

The sensei casually walked out of the kitchen and looked to see his three oldest sons soaking wet and slammed against a wall.

"Hmm," Splinter said before walking over to the two teenagers sitting on the swing.

"Michelangelo your stealth has improved and you are using the shadows to your advantage…Maya your skill with water is _very _impressive, you are an incredible team together," Splinter said making the teens smile.

"Sensei!"

"Come on!"

"You cannot be serious!"

The three brothers complained both horrified and furious with their father but became silent with a single glare from their teacher.

"Since you two are such an excellent duo you will work together to pick up every piece of shell that you have slammed in my home," sensei continued wiping the smiles off of Mikey and Maya's face.

"I also expect my floors scrubbed by hand," Splinter added making the pair groan.

"Hai sensei," they mumbled before they both lept to the ledge of the pool.

As the pair sadly walked off to go do their punishment they dared to glance at each other and smirk before allowing themselves a giggle before they got to work.

* * *

All done for now ladies and germs take care and as always I will update as soon as I can I'm going to be starting a series of one shots for one of my previous stories and update an old favorite so look for it! Don't forget to review and tell me what you think :)


	12. Chapter 12

Hello readers! So sorry to all of you who were waiting for the update on this story. I was suffering from a bit of writer's block but alas I have prevailed! Anyway here for you is a new chapter and I hope you enjoy :)

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Mikey groaned when he heard his alarm going off on his night stand beside his bed. He lazily rolled over before knocking the annoying piece of technology into the wall. The youngest turtle huffed before having to literally throw himself out of bed before he could fall back asleep.

_'I don't feel so good' _he thought to himself miserably as he dragged himself across the room.

The orange masked turtle grumbled incoherent morning mumbles as he walked past a mirror in his room. The turtle caught his reflection in the glass quickly when he realized something was wrong. He grabbed the mirror and stared into it in horror when he realized the thing that was wrong was formed on his face in several places.

"Oh my…" he trailed off in shock.

…

"I'M A MUTANT FREAK!"

Leo, Raph and Donny all looked at each other with confused expressions wondering if they had actually heard their baby brother right.

"He just clue in to that?" Leo asked.

Before any of his brothers had time to answer him Michelangelo burst into the living room looking completely disturbed. At first the three older turtles weren't sure what to do by their brother's distress until they saw the problem.

"Guys…I think I got zits," Mikey said sadly.

"Let me see," Donny said taking his brother's face in his hands and examining it quickly before nodding in confirmation.

"Yup. Mikey you are the proud owner of some big juicy pimples," the purple masked turtle said casually to the younger one.

"I'm pretty sure if I close my eyes I could learn brail from your face," Raph teased mercilessly before laughing hysterically.

"Oh no it's pusszilla!" Raph taunted.

Mikey groaned before he sat down on the couch and held his head in his hands completely depressed about the whole thing. Leo trying to be a good older brother gave Raph a glare as he went and sat down beside him before he wrapped an arm around Mikey comfortingly.

"Don't worry buddy. Everybody gets zits at some point," Leo explained gently.

"Have you ever had one?" Mikey asked hopefully.

"Oh hell no," Leo replied bluntly making Mikey's depression comeback tenfold.

At that moment Donny walked over when he noticed another pimple on the back of Mikey's head that looked slightly different from the others. Something in his intelligent mind told him this was not a good sign and needed to be looked at immediately.

"Hey Mikey come with me into the lab for a sec. I just want to check something out to be safe," Donny explained.

The younger turtle huffed before he followed his brother into his lab so he could examine him. After a few moments Donny turned to his brother with an unreadable expression.

"Soo I have good news and bad news," Donny said.

"Start with the good news D. I need a pick me up," Mikey said.

"Well the good news is that they won't actually hurt you or effect your ability to make us breakfast," Donny said with a smile.

"That is good news," Mikey said happily.

"The bad news is that the zits are gonna keep spreading all over your body until you turn into one ginormous pimple and explode," Donny explained bluntly making his brothers cringe.

For a moment all the youngest turtle did was stare at his brother in disbelief. After a few minutes of absorbing the information Mikey screamed in fear before running from the lab and locking himself into his room.

Leo and Raph both glared at their younger brother before the oldest turtle scolded, "Was there was no way you could have been a little more gentle with that?"

"You the hell taught you bedside manner?" Raph added unimpressed.

Donny just shrugged before he replied, "I was just kidding. Anyway this might prove my theory that the mutagen may have made our DNA more human then turtle. I'll keep an eye on Mikey to make sure this isn't serious."

Leo huffed at his brother before he said, "c'mon we gotta go talk to him. I'll give Maya a call to see if she can help us figure out how to get him out of his room."

…

The boys had been pounding on Mikey's door trying to coax him out but so far it wasn't going well and Maya had sworn she would run to get there as fast as she could after last period.

"Come on Mikey it's not as bad as you think," Leo said pounding on the door.

"Raph promises he won't make fun of you anymore," the blue masked turtle added giving his younger brother a warning glare.

The red masked turtle just rolled his eyes and crossed his arms over his chest before he replied, "I promise Mikey."

"It doesn't matter I'm never coming out of here as long as these things are on my face!" Mikey yelled from behind the door.

"Really Mikey? Not even for Maya?" Leo asked pulling out his secret weapon.

It was quiet on the other side of the door other than a bit of shuffling around before Mikey asked, "Is she here right now?"

"No but she's on her way so you can't stay cooped up in there forever. We'll leave you alone for now Mikey but we'll be back if you're not out by the time she gets here," Leo replied gently yet stern.

…

Fishface and Dogpound walked into the throne room of the Shredder where Karai was currently reigning over in her father's place. The pair quickly approached before standing before the girl they considered a spoiled brat. Karai glared at the pair and crossed her arms over her chest not looking impressed with either mutant.

"Forget something," the girl sneered.

Dogpound growled at the girl before Fishface replied, "Do not get comfortable Karai. We only bow before the Shredder."

"Well my father left me in charge while he's away in Japan. So I suggest you show some respect or I'll chop off your robotic legs and throw you down the sewer, got it?" she warned.

Both mutants decided to be quiet after that and reluctantly bowed to the girl keeping their gazes to the floor.

"Better. Now I have a job I need you both to take care of. I need someone who can tend to the daily maintenance of my footbots. Someone whose loyalty can be bought, who can be manipulated," Karai explained.

"Who exactly were you thinking of?" Dogpound asked.

"Baxter Stockman," Fishface answered knowingly.

"Stick man? That little twerp tried to kill us," the monstrous dog mutant growled.

"Stockman is perfect…think you two freaks can handle that?" Karai sneered at them once again.

Both Dogpound and Fishface glared as they rose to their feet and glared at their substitute boss before the red fish replied, "not a problem…boss."

…

Maya ran into the lair out of breath and concern written all over her face. She quickly made her way over to the brothers who were all watching tv in the sunken living room and dropped her bag.

"How is he?" she asked them worried for her friend.

"He is still hiding in his room and refuses to come out," Leo explained.

The sound of footsteps caught their attention and they all looked up to see Mikey hiding behind a pillar with a pizza box over his face. It broke Maya's heart to see her friend hiding himself like that but quickly became even more unhappy when she heard Raph's teasing start.

"Oh hey look guys! Mikey brought his own pizza…his face!" the red masked turtle teased before bursting into laughter not seeing the hurt on his baby brother's face from behind the pizza box.

"RAPHAEL!" Splinter shouted angrily to silence his second eldest.

"I am surprised to that you would judge someone based on their appearances. After all how would the humans living above react to your own appearance," Splinter scolded more calmly.

Raph had the good sense to look ashamed and he suddenly found the floor interesting and said, "You're right sensei."

Hesitantly he looked over at his brother who still had the pizza box over his head and added, "Sorry Mikey."

The younger turtle didn't reply to his brother as he sat down still distraught over the fact that his skin was covered in ugly bumps. Maya quickly went over to her friend and sat beside him before taking the pizza box off of his head. The tiny girl smiled at her friend before gently running a comforting hand over Michelangelo's bumpy skin and then pulled him into a hug. The orange masked turtle was slightly surprised with his friend as he hugged her back considering his brothers wouldn't come near him but she had no second thoughts about giving Mikey the comfort he needed.

"You don't think I look like a hideous freak," Mikey said pulling out of the embrace to look at his friend who was smiling in return.

"Michelangelo you could turn into a flying spaghetti monster and this one would still love you because you would still be this one's friend in here," Maya explained resting her hand on Mikey's chest over his heart.

The orange masked turtle looked down at the hand before looking back up at Maya surprised and said, "Maya you're scared of spaghetti; you think it looks like an ugly giant spider with many over sized meatball eyes."

Maya blushed before she replied, "for you this one would gladly make an exception."

Mikey was beaming and all of a sudden he was back to his old self. Master Splinter couldn't help the smile that seemed to cross his lips as he stared at the pair. The sensei had to admit even he was taken aback by how easy it was for Maya to express her love for his son. Truly the bond these two shared was nothing short of unquestionable true love in its purest form. Looking over at his three oldest sons Master Splinter could tell his children could see it as well. They looked almost embarrassed to be witnessing this moment shared between their brother and his mermaid friend.

"This one is curious as to what could have caused these," Maya said gently running her fingers over Mikey's bumpy skin once more.

"It's probably grease from all the pizza he eats," Leo said casually.

"Or the fact that he doesn't wash his face ever," Donny added.

It was then that Mikey started whistling to himself that was the nail in the coffin for Master Splinter. His son was hiding something and he was going to find out what immediately.

"My son. I sense you have something you wish to say," Splinter said calmly yet knowingly.

The youngest turtle looked around the room and noticed everyone staring at him before he replied, "nah I'm good, nothing to report here."

Everyone suddenly glared at him including Maya before he finally caved and said, "Okay! I'll admit it. I _may _or may not have sprinkled some mutagen…on my skin."

"ARE YOU INSANE?!" Leo, Don and Raph all screamed at him at the same time.

Mikey pulled out the canister from his belt before he explained, "How could I resist when it says it'll make you super cool."

"Ugh Mikey it says to keep it super cooled," Donny explained showing him the whole label.

"This stuff is a batch of failed retro mutagen and it's extremely dangerous," Donny scolded taking the jar from his brother.

"Well…you could have made it a bit clearer," Mikey said trying to defend himself.

Donny looked at his brother with a deadpanned expression before turning the jar around to reveal the back covered in skulls and 'do not touch' stickers.

"Still not clear," Mikey said staring at the jar with squinted eyes.

Maya put her hand on her friend's shoulder before she asked, "What would possess you to think you needed to make yourself…cool?"

The orange masked turtle looked reluctant to answer before he looked at Maya and explained, "These guys treat me like I'm just a big goof ball and nothing else…but I'm kinda used to that now."

Leo, Raph and Don stared at him with softened but still furious expressions on their faces as they waited for him to continue.

"The other day though when Leo was teaching you those katas…you were so focused on him, like every move he made was perfect. You said you thought he looked so cool when he fought and…I kind of wanted you to look at me like that when I fought," the turtle explained looking at the ground.

The other turtles were shocked that their baby brother would ever be jealous of any of them. The kid always seemed like he was so ok being the turtle he was that it never occurred to them that the fun loving turtle may have a low self-esteem.

Maya smiled gently at her friend before she cupped his chin and moved his head up so he was looking at her before she said, "this one is sorry if she made you feel like you were any less then her amazing friend. This one admired Leonardo as a warrior but this one admires _everything _about you, even when you do silly things like this."

The Hamato brothers once again felt like they were witnessing a private moment and began to feel uncomfortable. At the same time though they felt grateful, knowing that Maya could be the one that made Mikey feel his best even when they couldn't. It was appreciated although bittersweet.

Donny quickly stepped forward and wrapped an arm around his only younger brother and gently said, "Come on, let's go fix you up."

…

"Oh no," Donny said as he stared at the screen in front of him.

"Is that a good oh no or a bad oh no?" Mikey asked.

"Bad oh no," Donny replied giving his brother an annoyed look.

"Look you remember how earlier when I was joking around about how your zits were gonna keep spreading until you exploded?" the tech savvy turtle asked.

When Mikey nodded his head he admitted, "Well now it's actually gonna happen if this keeps up."

Donny quickly felt guilty when he saw the look on his baby brother like he was going to burst into tears at any given moment.

"The good news is that I can probably make an antidote using the remaining mutagen," Donny explained.

"You must begin at once then," Splinter said trying not to sound like he was alarmed by the idea that his son could be killed.

"I missing a key instrument though, it's called a molecular centrifuge. The only place I ever saw one was at TCRI," Donny explained.

"We blew that place up, what could be left?" Raph asked.

"We don't have much of a choice here Raph. Who knows maybe we'll get lucky," Donny replied.

"Alright let's go we don't have much time," Leo replied.

The turtles all nodded and walked out with their oldest brother followed by Maya who was quickly stopped by Master Splinter.

"You are not going anywhere. This is too dangerous for you to be going out alone yet," he explained to the girl.

Maya glared at Master Splinter before gently removing his hand from her shoulder and said, "You all called this one to help Michelangelo. That is exactly what this one intends to do."

Without another word Maya walked away from a shocked Splinter to stand proudly beside Michelangelo before pulling out her weapons as Mikey pulled out his.

"Please let nothing happen," Splinter pleaded to any deity who cared to listen to his plea to keep his children safe.

* * *

That'a all for now folks hope you enjoyed it and don't forget to review the lady! I will reply to reviews :)


	13. Chapter 13

Hello readers! I just wanted to respond to ClashingHeartsOf since I couldn't message you. That was hilarious and your review made my day :) This chapter is for you and all those who review but I can't respond to enjoy!

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Dogpound jumped through alleys and on top of roofs sniffing the night air in search of his prey. He stopped for a moment only to catch his reflection in the glass of a sun roof and growled in frustration at what he saw.

"You were once a feared warrior…now look at you! A clumsy dog chasing after pathetic creatures like Stockman," Dogpound growled feeling sorry for himself.

Suddenly an idea came to him as he gazed at his reflection and said, "Maybe I can make Stockman help me? Make him return me to the man I once was."

The mutant dog smiled as he decided on using the scientist for his own personal gain instead of helping Karai. With that plan in mind Dogpound continued his search more determined than ever before to find his prey. He jumped from roof top to roof top before jumping down an alley. After quickly sniffing the night air the dog mutant smiled when found the scent stronger than ever going towards the abandoned TCRI building.

…

The four turtles and Mia walked cautiously through the abandoned building. Some parts had received more damage than others from the blast and it was becoming difficult to maneuver through the debris to get to the lab. Finally they got there and were relieved to see that the lab was mostly unharmed and the equipment still usable.

"Spread out and start looking," Donny said and the brothers quickly got to work.

Maya hesitated to begin searching as she watched the others begin to dig through the laboratory. The half transformed mermaid quickly went over to Donny and tapped him on the shoulder. The tech savvy turtle turned to the girl curiously.

"You find something Maya?" Donny asked.

The turtle noted the embarrassed green blush that adorned the girl's face and the way she fidgeted with her webbed hands.

_'This one does not how what a moldy circlesmudge looks like'_ Maya admitted looking like a bashful child in that moment.

Mikey who had been listening, stopped his search and popped his head up looking embarrassed before he said, "To be honest I dunno what the centerfudge looks like either."

"Mikey, if you didn't know what you were looking for than why did you start looking before you asked me?" Donny asked his brother irritated.

The orange masked turtle simply shrugged at his brother making Donny roll his eyes in annoyance before turning back to Maya.

"The _molecular centrifuge_ basically looks like a white ball. It will open up and have a spinner in it with more than likely some vials held inside the holders," Donny explained.

"LIKE A POKÉMON BALL?!" Mikey cried in excitement from behind his brother.

Donny sighed before he reluctantly replied, "Ya Mikey…like a Pokémon ball."

"Gotta catch 'em all, CENTERFUDGE!" Mikey shouted before diving back into the pile to search for the piece of equipment.

Maya tried not to laugh at poor Donny who looked like he was doing everything in his power to not turn around and strangle his brother. He turned to Maya with a confused expression as he shook his head at her.

"Can I ask you something?" he asked.

_'This one has been letting you ask her questions for weeks, why stop now?'_ Maya replied.

"True…anyway I have to put up with that guy because he's my kid brother. What exactly do you find so fascinating about him again?" Donny asked motioning over his shoulder to the orange masked turtle who was singing the Pokémon theme song.

Maya chuckled before she replied '_This one likes Mikey simply because he is Mikey. Just like this one likes Donny simply because he is Donny. What other reason does this one need to enjoy your company other than the fact that you are you?'_

At first Donny was shocked by the response but then smiled at the girl with appreciation. It still caught him off guard that she could look at things in such a complex way but explain it in words so simply so that they could all understand.

"Thanks Maya. You're one of a kind you know that," Donny said rubbing the mermaid's head affectionately.

_'Actually this one is one of fifty of our pod on land and at least another sixty from our pod underwater. That's not even including the other variations of pods across the waters' _Maya said innocently making Donny laugh.

"I's a figure of spech, I'll explain later. Let's just find the centrifuge okay," Donny said.

Maya nodded happily before moving over to an area of the lab where no one was looking to begin searching for the equipment. As they continued to search a sudden noise that didn't come from the lab made all five teenagers look at each other in alarm.

Leo pointed a finger up signaling for them all to get to higher ground and blend into the shadows. Immediately they all obeyed and jumped up as high as they could go to hide while still being able to see who else was in the abandoned building.

The turtles were shocked when they saw the figure walk in revealing it to be none other than Plaster Stoopman!

"With these I will build an unstoppable army. All will bow before the greatness of Baxter Stockman," the man said to himself chuckling.

"Yorkster Blockhead!" Leo shouted giving away their position.

"It's Baxter Stockman!" the other man replied before spinning around to see who had called out to him and gasped in surprise when he saw who it was.

Immediately the man picked up the box he was holding and began backing away from the turtles to run from them. It didn't take Donny long to see that what was in the box was what they had come here for and began to approach the man.

"He's got the centrifuge," Donny explained.

"Hand it over Storkman!" Leo demanded.

"It's Stockman! And no I found it first it's mine," the man replied holding on to the equipment like a child holding on to his toy.

"Mousers ATTACK!" Baxter said and as if on cue tons of metal creatures jumped out of nowhere to attack them.

The turtles spread out to defend themselves from Stockman's little metal monsters. At the same time they all tried to stay close to Michelangelo making sure they didn't get to close to the youngest. Maya stood back to back with the orange masked turtle, together both she and Mikey covered each other as they fought.

Each of the three older turtles were soon separated and surrounded by herds of mousers. Raph was slaughtering the ones coming after him one right after the other. Two were about to attack him from behind when a large chunk of rubble that had fallen from the ceiling fell and crushed them both getting the red masked turtle's attention. Raph turned to see the crushed mousers before looking up to see Dogpound making an entrance from where the crumbling roof had come from.

The mutant made quick work of destroying the mousers that were around him before laying eyes on his prey. He smiled menacingly as he stared at the whimpering man in front of him before chuckling in amusement at the man's fear.

"Well if it isn't weaseling little Stickman," Dogpound said as he began to approach the man.

"Back off Dogpound," Leo demanded.

"What's this? Stickman and the turtles, and here I thought I was having a bad day," Dogpound chuckled.

More mousers came out of nowhere attacking the turtles, Maya and Dogpound. The dog mutant easily destroyed the pests that were coming after him as if they were nothing but flies on the wall. The red masked turtle that was close by managed to defeat his mousers soon enough before turning his attention on Dogpound. As Raph growled at the beast the sound of another growl caught his attention and the hot head looked over to his left to see Maya looking livid.

The turtle could honestly say he had never seen the girl look that pissed in either her human or mermaid form. He watched as she stood up straight from her defensive position and walk straight up to Dogpound. Even though standing in front of the mutant Maya looked even smaller then she actually was, the mermaid held no fear in her eyes as she looked up at him.

_'You are the one known as Chris Bradford, the one who hurt Michelangelo' _Maya said in a matter of fact tone.

"Ya I'm the one who messed that annoying little pest. What the hell are you supposed to be?" Dogpound asked the tiny girl who was currently mermaid from the waist up.

_'This one is Michelangelo's friend and this one does not like those who hurt her friends' _Maya said simply in a scary calm voice.

Suddenly Maya jumped up to be eye level with Dogpound before she took both of her tusks and swung them. They hit the beast so hard in the side of the head that he yelped in pain before flying into the wall on the other side of the lab. The turtles and Stockman were so shocked that they couldn't even move as they stared at the heap of mutant dog covered in wall debris. The mousers however quickly distracted the turtles leaving Maya to deal with the beast.

Maya swung her weapons expertly as she calmly walked over to Dogpound and slamming the side of the husks into his back repeatedly. The more she slammed the deeper into the floor the mutant went before she stopped for a moment allowing the creature a moment of relief.

"Is that all you got?" Dogpound said as he removed himself enough from the hole that he was kneeling in front of Maya.

Maya only smiled up at him as she tilted her head to the side before lifting up her hands. She held them up in front of Dogpound so he could see the claws growing from her fingertips. The girl then screamed in a high pitch tone causing the mutant to whimper in pain before the girl slashed him across the face. The mutant dog screamed as blood began to seep from the four diagonal claw marks.

The mermaid then jumped onto the beast so that she was sitting on his chest while he was on his back already defeated. Maya then took her husks and pushed them into the mutant's neck suffocating him slightly.

_'Listen well true freak. NEVER come near this one's friends again or else next time we meet, this one will make herself a fur coat' _Maya hissed.

Dogpound growled in absolute fury. How dare this _thing_ whatever she was call him a true freak? The mutant growled at the girl before he easily picked her up and threw her across the lab. Leo noticed the girl flying after defeating his mousers and made quick work to catch Maya before she hit the wall protecting them both with the blue masked turtle's shell as they hit it together.

It didn't take long for the others finish up as well but it was just enough time for Dogpound to run over to the shocked Stockman, who was still holding the centrifuge. He quickly scooped the human up and threw him over his shoulder before taking off down a hallway.

"No! He's got the centerfudge," Mikey cried as he tried to chase after them.

Dogpound punched a support beam as he ran by and the roof began to cave in. Leo quickly ran over to Mikey and pulled him out of the way before any of the debris could fall on the orange masked turtle or his freaky zits. When the dust cleared the turtles saw how caved in the doorway was and admitted their defeat before sadly making their way back home.

…

When they got back to the lair Donny went straight to his lab while Leo, Raph and a now fully human Maya watched as poor Mikey pace around the living room looking completely defeated. None of them knew what to do other then let the turtle do what he needed to do to wrap his head around everything.

"I cannot believe dog breath beat us. I want a rematch!" Raph said punching a pillow in anger.

"Calm down Raph…we'll figure something out," Leo replied sounding unsure.

"Whatever we're doing we need to do it fast. Mikey's zits are becoming unstable and I don't know how much time we have to make an antidote," Donny said.

"I'm gonna pop aren't I?" Mikey asked sounding defeated.

"Hey don't be like that, we just have to keep you safe. As long as you stay in here you'll be ok until we figure something out," Donny said trying to comfort his brother.

"Ya don't worry little brother. We'll do whatever it takes to fix you," Raph added.

"Aww thanks guys," Mikey said as he went to go hug his older brothers but quickly met the ground when they both pulled far away from his reach.

Maya quickly went over and helped her friend off the ground smiling at him gently.

"Okay! Dogpound and Popstark, where would they go?" Leo asked out loud, he to tried to think about where they would be.

"City dump?"

"It's a retirement home now."

"Old nuclear plant?"

"Nursery school."

"What about Stockman's old lab?" Mikey suggested enthusiastically.

"Why would Dogpound kidnap Dexter just to take him to his old lair? It doesn't make sense" Raph said in an annoyed tone.

Becoming annoyed himself when his brothers nodded in agreement Mikey scowled at them before he said, "See! You guys never take me seriously."

All three brothers all rolled their eyes at him before turning back to each other to keep bouncing ideas off of each other. Mikey felt defeated as he watched his brothers until he felt a hand on his shoulder and turned to see Maya's encouraging smile looking at him.

"You believe me don't you May?" Mikey asked.

The girl nodded her head before transforming herself head to waist in her mermaid form and said to him _'This one doesn't doubt you for a moment, this one is with you.'_

Mikey smiled as he grabbed Maya's hand and together they ran out of the lair without any suspicions from the three older turtles who were still talking.

…

When they got to the abandoned laboratory, the pair hid in the rafters in the ceiling as they traveled to the main area of the lab. The pair smiled at each other when they saw Dogpound, Soapman and Fishaface all talking around a huge vat of mutagen.

_'What do you think they are doing with the mutagen?' _Maya asked.

_'Dunno but it's probably safe to say nothing good' _Mikey replied through their mind link.

The pair quickly spotted the centrifuge sitting on a lab table while the two mutants talked with the mad scientist. Mikey took one of his nun chucks and slowly descended the hooked end down to try and fish the equipment up towards him. Dogpound quickly noticed what has happening and pulled on the chain sending Mikey flying down below.

At first they all stared at him before Mikey said, "wait don't touch me! I'm highly contagious."

"Where's your brothers and your little friend, pest?" Dogpound asked in a mocking tone.

_'Right here!' _Maya said as she jumped onto the creature before using his face to propel herself up into the air again to land beside Mikey.

"I owe you a little payback," the mutant said to the girl.

_'We shall see' _Maya replied.

Before Dogpound could attack the girl, Fishface beat him to it and began attacking Maya with his butterfly knives which she deflected with the narwhal husks. Mikey quickly dodged out of the way when Dogpound turned his sights onto him. The turtle quickly jumped back up into the rafters when his zits started shifting.

"Calm down zits please!" the turtle begged them.

Dogpound quickly followed him up and chased him through the rafters until he trapped Mikey on a single beam. The mutant smiled maliciously as he dived off his beam to tackle Mikey on his.

"No!" Mikey cried as he dived out of the way.

The turtle tried to grab the mutant's paw as he fell but missed and watched as Dogpound fell down into the vat of mutagen below them. Mikey quickly jumped down to stand beside the shocked Maya who had stopped her battle with Fishface when they saw Dogpound fall.

"Oh snap! Dogs hate getting wet," Mikey commented.

Suddenly a form jumped out of the mutagen but it was no longer the Dogpound that they knew. This creature looked like something that walked out of somebody's nightmare. It was bigger then what Dogpound was before and looked like some kind of Dog skeleton monster.

"Uh hey you do something different with your fur Dogpound," Mikey said nervously.

The creature set his eyes on Maya and Mikey before approaching them slowly like an animal slowly advancing on its prey. Mikey put an arm in front of Maya pushing them both back as this new mutant got closer and closer. The orange masked turtle did not like how scared his friend looked but there was nothing he could do because he was just as freaked out.

Suddenly the beast shot his arms out capturing them both in its claws. It yanked them forward so both teens were at eye level with him and he could see the fear in their eyes.

"I can feel the mutagen flowing through my body," the deep voice rumbled.

"I'm faster, stronger, more powerful then I was before. I feel like a ninja again," the creature said.

"Plus you don't have zits which is a plus," Mikey added nonchalantly.

The creature looked at them both with disgust before he replied, "to thank you I will make your end swift as well as the girl's."

Before Mikey could do anything Dogpound threw both of them at the wall as hard as he could. The turtle thought fast and grabbed Maya's arm to pull her to his chest before wrapping his other arm around her waist. Letting go of her arm Mikey grabbed one of his nun chucks before expanding the chain enough to wrap around a beam and slow them down. His zits had the tiniest amount of pressure on them from his shell and the wall by the time they stopped and relief consumed him as he pulled back his weapon, his other arm still wrapped around Maya.

_'Are you alright?' _Maya asked concerned.

"Ya I think so," Mikey replied.

The creature growled at them in rage as he saw the two teenagers completely unharmed. Mikey turned to him scowling.

"RAAWWRR yourself you razor faced dog!" Mikey shouted pushing Maya behind him.

"Don't call me a dog!" the beast cried in reply.

"You got it _Rahzar!" _Mikey teased the creature as he walked to closer to it.

_'Mikey, this one doesn't think it is wise to anger that thing' _Maya said.

_'Don't worry I got this' _Mikey replied confidently.

Suddenly the creature now dubbed Rahzar brought his long sharp claw down on the smaller turtle who was trying to dodge out of the way but knew he wouldn't make it. Suddenly a sai came out of nowhere and hit the nightmare dog's paw sending it flying away from Mikey.

"Get away from my brother!" a voice shouted.

Suddenly Raph came out of nowhere and sent Rahzar flying away from the orange masked turtle with a vicious kick to the head. Leo and Donny ran up to Mikey and Maya to make sure they were ok while still keeping an eye on the new creature.

"Hey guys," Mikey said nervously.

"You two are in big trouble," Leo scolded both him and Maya his expression a mixture of fear and anger towards the pair.

"Ya what the hell were you two thinking?" Raph added before he was tackled by Fishface.

The group scattered when the giant black dog tried to attack them, Leo and Maya going one way while Donny and Mikey went another.

"So uh what happened to Dogpound?" Donny asked nervously.

"He got double mutated. Now I call him Rahzar," Mikey said proud of his naming skills.

The beast in question growled at them ferociously before attacking them once more. Leo was the first to retaliate but Rahzar quickly sent him flying to the wall. Donny came right after swinging his bo staff before he was grabbed by his face. Rahzar saw the red masked turtle coming from behind and used the purple masked turtle in his grasp to send Raph flying off into another wall before tossing Donny away like trash. Maya even tried to go after him but Razhar quickly grabbed her and slammed her into the ground knocking the air out of the girl.

"HEY!" Mikey called looking angry but getting the creature's attention.

"Over here boy come on," Mikey said before he started whistling as if talking to a pet dog.

Furious Rahzar forgot about Maya and ran towards Mikey with his claws over his head ready to bring them down on the turtle. Mikey quickly dodged out of the way so that Rahzar would hit the electric cord instead of him. Rahzar felt the jolts of electricity coursing through his body as he watched Mikey run away.

Donny looked over and noticed that the cord had been split in two and an idea came to him. He quickly shouted for Maya and his brothers to get to higher ground before doing so himself. When he was sure they were all safe Donny hit the sprinklers on the ceiling electrocuting their enemies below.

"Oh no guys the centerfudge was still down there. I'm gonna explode," Mikey cried.

"I wouldn't be too sure about that," Raph said holding up the centrifuge that he had quickly grabbed before climbing up into the rafters. Mikey smiled brightly at the sight of the lifesaving equipment in his brother's grasp.

"Okay let's go we gotta move fast," Donny said.

The purple masked turtle began leading them all out of the lab to return home, none of them aware of someone watching them.

…

It didn't take to long for Donny to recreate a cure for Mikey and as a joke even put them acne pads making his brothers chuckle. After a few minutes the medicine quickly took affect and Mikey was back to his adorable self.

"Guys look! I'm super cute again," Mikey cried in excitement before running over and pulling Donny into a huge hug.

"Thank you, thank you, thank you," he said over and over again truly grateful.

Splinter chose that moment to walk into the lab and walked straight over to Mikey and placed a hand on his shoulder.

"I am proud of you my son. You thought you needed to change yourself but you learned you had everything you need in here," Splinter said pointing a finger over his son's heart.

"You are also blessed with the love of a good friend who was more than happy to fight for you and believed you when no one else did," Splinter said looking over to Maya with a proud smile.

"Risking your identity was never something I would ask you to do. However I am grateful for what you've done to save my son yet again," Splinter said to the girl who returned a shy smile of her own.

"Are they aware of what Maya is?" The sensei asked turning to his oldest son.

"I don't think so sensei they were pretty focused on Stockman," Leo explained.

Splinter nodded before leaving the children to their own devices.

…

Karai returned to her home with Stockman in tow and quickly went into her father's library. The girl searched and searched until she finally found what she was looking for. She pulled out a book that was probably written long before even her great grandfather's time. She quickly skimmed through it until she found what she was looking for and smiled.

The page she found had pictures of creatures that lived in the ocean and on top of the page in big bold letters were the words 'THE LEGENDS OF THE MERMAIDS.'

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That's all for now hope you like and as always don't forget to review the lady and tell me what you think :) Till next time friends.


	14. Chapter 14

Oh my goodness readers I am so very very very very very sorry for the late update. It has been a crazy couple of weeks with some exciting new things happening in my career. Anyway enough about the troublesome author and on with the story.

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Karai gently turned the delicate pages of the book soaking in all the information she read about the mythical creatures known as mermaids. The girl quickly became fascinated by what she was reading and how she could use them for the benefit of both her and her father to accomplish their plans.

With a smirk Karai took the book over to the photocopier in the room and printed off several pictures before gathering up the pages and returning the book to its place on the shelf.

"Footbots!" the girl called over her shoulder.

In a matter of seconds several robotic ninjas came into the room before bowing in front of Karai waiting for her instruction.

Karai walked over to them and handed them the pictures that she had copied out of the ancient book before leaning against her father's desk.

"Find the mermaid for me, bring it to me in no less condition then alive and uninjured. The blood is valuable so for every drop that's spilt I take off a piece of _you_," Karai demanded.

The footbots nodded their heads obediently before standing up and quickly leaving the office to search for what their master desired.

…

Splinter was ripped from his meditation by the sounds of laughter and pounding footsteps. With a huff he opened one eye open to see his youngest son and his tiny silver haired friend running towards the tree in the middle of the dojo.

"What did you two do now?" Splinter asked almost afraid to know.

"Let's just say the guys _may _have gotten a makeover…with sharpies," Mikey said with a beaming grin adorning his freckled face.

As if on cue Leo, Raph and Don burst into the dojo while Mikey and Maya stealthily climbed up to the top of the tree holding in their laughter. Master Splinter was trying desperately himself to hold in his own snickers when he beheld his three oldest sons.

Leonardo tried to not show his embarrassment as he stood before his father. In place of his blue mask, blue marker adorned his eyelids with red lips drawn across his mouth. Raph was silent holding in his fury as he stood beside his brother. His mask was also missing, replaced by orange marker drawn over his eyes like eye shadow and bright red lips drawn on his mouth. Donny couldn't hide his shame as he hung his head trying to hide his purple eyelids and red lips.

"I see you left yourselves unguarded…I would punish you but I see your brother and Maya saw to that," Splinter commented calmly.

"You cannot seriously be telling us those two chuckle heads are gonna get away with this," Raph hissed angrily.

"Of course not however I will be the one to decide their fate," Splinter replied.

All three boys nodded their heads satisfied with their father's answer before he added, "go now and clean your faces while I meditate on a suitable punishment to fit the crime."

Leo, Raph and Donny could have sworn they heard the sounds of nervous gulps as they got on their feet. As soon as they left the dojo however the unmistakable sound of Master Splinter allowing himself the laughter that he had been holding back while his sons were in the room.

"I am never sleeping again," Donny said as he walked over to the bathroom to wash his face.

"It's gonna take forever to get this stuff off," Leo complained as he reluctantly looked at himself in the mirror.

"Don't get your panties in a twist. It's not like anybody is gonna see us or nothin'," Raph replied grabbing a wash cloth.

"You're being awfully calm," Leo said giving his brother an odd look.

"That's cause I'm planning a slow, painful death for those two and it's makin' me feel all warm and fuzzy inside ok," the hot head said scrubbing his face.

A knock at the door interrupted the three brothers. They looked at each other cautiously before Donny slowly unlocked the door and opened the door to reveal the culprits themselves. The purple masked turtle glared at the pair accusingly.

"What the hell do you guys want?" he demanded angrily.

Mikey huffed before he replied, "Master Splinter said because we drew on you so you get to draw on us…no drawing bad words or anything dirty though."

"Seriously?" Donny asked in surprise.

"Punishment was lenient since we demonstrated improved stealth skills by not being detected in the dojo by you all," Maya said holding out the markers.

All three turtles seemed to debate whether or not the trouble makers were telling the truth before smirking evilly. Raph was the first to pick up a black marker before turning his gaze to his baby brother who looked very unhappy.

"Ready for your close up Mikey?" the red masked turtle taunted.

…

Master Splinter walked out of the dojo to find all five teenagers sitting in front of the television watching some action film. Leo and Donny were sitting on one couch while Raph sat on the floor with his back against the other couch. All three boys still had the permanent marker stuck on their face from the prank pulled on them.

When he looked up to see Maya and Mikey on the couch he couldn't help groaning in annoyance. Both teenagers were lying on the couch sideways facing the television fast asleep under a blanket. Mikey was laying behind Maya with one arm draped over the girl's stomach holding her to his chest.

The part of this sight that disturbed him most was the fact that both of them were covered in marker. Maya had a mustache, goatee and a monocle drawn on her face while Michelangelo's face had 'I like to smell farts' written on his forehead and red marker makeup on his eyes and lips.

"I thought I told you I would decide their punishment," Splinter said mildly upset.

The three boys looked at each other horrified before Leo replied, "but Master Splinter they told us you said we could draw on them."

"It's true they said you were going easy on them because of their improvement in stealth," Donny added quickly.

Splinter sighed before he explained, "I told them they were to apologize and make it up to you three accordingly."

"No wonder they let us pick the movie," Raph said looking over to the sleeping pair.

"Starting to feel bad about the fart thing," he added.

The sound of talking had woken up the sleeping girl laying on the couch before the mermaid slowly opened her eyes and began rubbing them with the heel of her hand.

"Good morrow to you sir sleepyhead," Donny greeted in an awful impression of a British gentleman.

"Whattime is it?" Maya grumbled.

"Seven o'clock," Raph replied after checking the time on his T-cell.

Maya's eyes suddenly looked as though they were going to burst out of her head. Without another thought the tiny girl threw the blanket over Mikey's head before flying off the couch at an impressive speed. She then ran into the orange masked turtle's room to grab her bag before running towards the entrance of the lair.

"ohmygoshthisoneisveryverylateGOODBYE!" Maya yelled as she ran out.

"Anybody catch that?" Leo asked looking confused.

"She was supposed to meet her tutor at seven," Mikey stated with his eyes still closed.

"Oops," Raph chuckled.

"I'll say she still has marker on her face," Mikey added with a smirk making his brothers all burst out laughing.

…

"Oh my god, it's finally happened!" April squealed in excitement.

The red head had never in her life felt so much fulfillment from accomplishing something until this very moment. April felt like she could fly she was so happy.

"Casey! You finally got an answer right!" the girl cried in delight.

The boy in question gave the girl an annoyed look as he tapped his pencil against the wooden table they were sitting at.

"Geez Red you act like I've never gotten a question right before," Casey said not sure if he should feel insulted or flattered by the girl's excitement.

"You've never gotten a question right on the first try before. This is a good thing Casey it means you're understanding the formula to answer the question," she explained.

"Really?" Casey asked sounding unsure.

"Of course! Casey I'm really proud of you," April said giving the boy a big smile before she wrapped her arms around him to give him a hug.

The black haired teen was in shock by his tutor's words. Up until this point everyone outside of his dad and sister had called him a useless, dumb loser. Up until now he had never had anyone outside of his small family tell him that they were proud of him.

"Thanks Red," the boy replied returning the hug.

Those two words were the only ones his mouth would allow him to say since his mind couldn't find any other ones to tell the girl in his arms how much those words actually meant to him. The pair stayed like that for a few minutes until they both heard something and within seconds the two teenagers ripped themselves apart to see what it was.

Maya ran all the way to the park before stopping to catch her breath. Casey and April were sitting at a picnic table when she arrived.

"So…sorry…this one…lost track of time," Maya said between deep breathes.

When she looked up at the two teenagers the mermaid became confused when she noticed they looked like they were trying desperately not to burst out laughing.

"Is something wrong?" she asked.

"Gidget have you looked in a mirror?" Casey replied before he started chuckling.

April started laughing as she dug into her bag and pulled out a compact before handing it to Maya. The girl looked at her reflection a little surprised before bursting into laughter herself.

"This one was with her friends…we were being silly and this one forgot the time…this one also apparently forgot about her makeup," Maya explained as she giggled.

"Don't sweat it. Monopoly man is a good look for you," Casey teased as he walked over and gave Maya a noogie.

"Come on Maya let's get to your lesson. The sooner we finish up here the sooner we can walk you home so you can wash that marker off your face, I know a trick," April explained kindly leading her to the table.

"Apologies again for the tardiness," Maya replied as she sat down.

"Oh don't even worry about it Casey apparently needed the extra one on one time. He answered the questions I gave him all on his own," April said proudly.

Maya's face lit up in excitement as she turned to the boy and said, "Well done my friend! This one knew you could do it."

Casey's pale face suddenly became bright red with an uncharacteristic blush. He wasn't used to hearing words of praise sent in his direction. The boy said nothing in reply but smiled gratefully at the girl before Maya turned back to April.

"Okay so let's see how you're doing with your journal entries and then we'll go over that essay on Hamlet that's due next week," April instructed.

Maya nodded before she pulled out a notebook with a decorative cover that April had bought her from a book store. The idea was that Maya was to write about her day, anything she was comfortable with other people reading, to practice using proper English and grammar.

April took the book from her and quickly skimmed the pages and was quickly surprised by the latest entries of the journal. Normally Maya wrote about her sister and nephew, the new things the baby was discovering and the silly things they did that day. She would also write about school, the things she had learned in classes that she found interesting and what she did with her friends. This time though she seemed to be writing about something very different, or someone rather.

She still wrote about the usual things that she wrote about but every so often she would mention a friend, a boy named Michael. The more April read the more she suspected that her innocent little friend liked this 'friend' a lot more then she probably realized.

"Ooo Maya! Who's Michael?" April teased gently before giggling at the girl's blush.

Casey also noticed the blush on the silver haired girl's face and glared suspiciously at his friend before he asked accusingly, "Ya who's Michael?"

Maya quickly looked between April's knowing _'somebody has a crush' _expression and Casey's protective _'I'll kill him slowly if he tries anything' _look before she suddenly felt nervous.

"J-just a boy…he is this one's dearest friend. Her first friend actually since living in New York," Maya explained hesitantly not realizing she was blushing.

April gave a girlish squeal before she said, "call Isla we're having a girl's night I want to hear _everything _about this boy!"

"Screw girl's night I wanna know who this guy is. Did _he _draw all over your face?" Casey demanded sounding very unimpressed with what he was hearing.

"Perhaps we should return to the essay portion of tutoring," Maya said desperately trying to change the subject.

April's demeanor suddenly changed as if she had just remembered where she was. With a nod she turned her attention to the essay in front of her but the excited expression never left her face. The silver haired teen quickly texted her older sister before she hesitantly turned her eyes towards Casey who sat fuming in silence. With a smile on her face Maya gently placed her hand over the black haired boy's before giving his hand a squeeze.

She waited for Casey to look at her before she said, "Thank you for worrying about this one."

The boy said nothing in reply but gave the girl one of his signature smirks and a nod. April smiled as she continued to edit Maya's paper not only from finding little to no spelling errors but also from watching the interaction the strange pair. Between Maya's shyness and Casey's cockiness, they seemed incompatible as far personalities go. These two though seemed to bend the rules and acted as though they were long lost cousins or something. Either way the red head was happy to see she wasn't the only one keeping an eye on the tiny odd ball.

"Okay Maya this looks great. Just a couple of mistakes but otherwise you did a fantastic job on this," April explained showing the girl where she went wrong.

After working for a bit longer the three agreed it was time to make their way back home. Casey was more than happy to walk the girls home since it was late. Their first stop was April's apartment so that she could grab a few things for the night. They then made their way to Maya's apartment, a small building behind a comic book store. Normally Casey and April would watch from the sidewalk as Maya walked into her building but today was the first time they were going upstairs with their friend.

As they approached the door both Casey and April quickly noticed the two guys standing outside the entrance that looked an awful lot like Maya and her family. Both men suspiciously eyed both teens before turning their gaze to Maya who nodded to them before they entered. Casey and April gave each other an odd look as they walked into the apartment building when they heard one of the men mumble, "m'lady."

_'What was that about?' _April had mouthed over to Casey who only shrugged in return.

The two men weren't the only ones who were giving strange looks. Everyone they passed in the building whether they were a man, woman or child stared at the trio. Almost as odd was the fact that all these people seemed to all have silver hair, with matching eyes and tanned skin. Maya didn't seemed to not notice when people nodded their heads towards her as if bowing their heads in respect.

"Pretty close knit around here huh?" Casey chuckled nervously."

Maya chuckled before turning to face her friend and replied with a smile, "A bit."

Soon enough they made it up to the apartment where Isla greeted them at the door with a warm smile on her face. April and Maya quickly scurried into the apartment but Casey stayed where he was at the front door.

"Not coming in?" Isla asked the boy.

"Uh no I need to get home I just wanted to make sure they got here ok," Casey explained feeling a little nervous around the older woman.

"Thank you for that. Please be safe on your own way home," Isla said kindly.

After saying goodnight to the girls Casey felt uncomfortable in the building on his own and quickly made his way out. As he did he tried desperately to ignore the glances through doors and whispers aimed in his direction. When he finally got outside he couldn't have felt more relieved to get some fresh air.

After taking a deep breath the teen noticed the two guys from before staring at him intensely. He gave them a nervous wave before he turned and started walking towards his own home.

"You watchin' out fer that girl?" a deep voice rumbled and Casey immediately stopped in his tracks before turning to face the owner of the voice.

Casey gulped when he saw the 6"5 beast with intense grey eyes and silver hair staring at him with an unreadable expression on his face. The man looked like he could break someone's neck with his thumb and forefinger.

"Y-yeah…she's my friend," Casey answered embarrassed by his sudden stutter.

The man nodded to him before he replied, "good on ya boy, ya keep lookin' out fer her and we'll be watchin' fer ya both."

Casey didn't know what to think of that but nodded his head gratefully unable to form any actual words to come out of his mouth.

"Best get goin' boy it's late and a school night…See to it ya get home safe there Casey Jones," the large man said staring at the teen as if staring into his soul.

Without another word Casey turned and walked as fast as he could to his apartment building completely freaked out by the encounter. Along the way he tried not to think about the fact that he never gave the man his name or the fact that there were five guys from Maya's building walking behind him until he got into his building.

* * *

All done for now but please review and tell me what you think...that is if you're still reading it. Till next time which will be sooner then later if I have anything to say about it!


	15. Chapter 15

Yay two chapters in the same week I hope I can keep this up :) Anyway on with the story enjoy!

* * *

April felt herself waking up but she refused to open her eyes just yet. Distantly she could hear the sounds of Maya and Isla speaking to each other about their plans for the day, trying to keep their voices down to be courteous to their slumbering guest.

Something poking the red head's cheek however alerted her to the fact that someone in this apartment wasn't feeling overly hospitable this morning. The girl slowly opened her eyes and was slightly startled to see Caspian's upside down face giving her a smile that revealed all of four teeth he currently had in his mouth.

"BAA!" the baby said before shoving his finger up the girl's nose which made April jump up out of surprise before she started giggling.

"Good morning to you to squirt," April chuckled rubbing her nose.

"Caspian that was not kind," Isla said rushing over before she scooped up her son into her arms and gave him a stern look.

The baby only giggled in response before looking over at April and blowing her a kiss as his way of apologizing. The teen chuckled as she dramatically returned the gesture to the baby before he began bouncing in his mother's arms happily.

"It really should be illegal to be that adorable," April said to Maya as she walked into the kitchen.

"Yes with his mother's face and this one's influence that boy is sure to be trouble," Maya said with a smile before retuning her attention to the food in the frying pan.

After adding a few things Maya put the eggs on a plate and served it to April before sitting down with her own plate. The red head looked at the dish with a raised eyebrow before looking at Maya nervously not wanting to hurt her friend's feelings.

"It is breakfast pizza. Try it," Maya explained before eating her own.

April smiled at her before reluctantly turning her attention to her breakfast. The girl took a deep breath before using her fork to cut through the gooey mess and put it in her mouth. The first thing she tasted was cheese, bacon, hash browns on a pancake crust soaked with maple syrup, and the top was seasoned with…Italian seasoning?

"Michael and I made it up one day. We combined all of our favorite breakfast food into the one thing we both love…pizza," the girl explained glowing with pride.

The red head noticed the expression on Maya's face that she had seen only once before. It was the look she imagined the girl got when she wrote her journal entries about her mystery 'friend.' Deciding to take a chance April let curiosity get the better of her.

"So umm…this Michael guy, who is he?" April asked.

Maya's head shot up and her face turned beat red before she chuckled nervously and replied, "He uh…well he is special."

"How so?" April inquired.

Maya looked deep in thought for a moment before she replied, "It is difficult to explain. Michael is Michael and this one loves him because he is Michael. He's unpredictable…ridiculous but also wise. He is kind and has eyes that see the soul within people but oblivious to obvious things…"

"Hmm…he actually reminds me of someone I used to know," April said feeling a small ache towards four certain turtles.

"He is the youngest of his brothers just like this one and always wears orange but it is not his favorite colour…" Maya continued going out about her friend.

April suddenly choked on her breakfast when she heard that last part feeling like this Michael person had a little too much in common with a certain turtle she knew for it to be coincidence.

"Uh May…where does Michael live exactly?" April asked nervously.

"Oh on the North end of the city. In a small apartment building," Maya replied casually as she ate.

The red head breathed a sigh of relief before scolding herself for thinking the girl could be hanging out with her former mutant friends.

"It must be hard living on opposite sides of the city," April said sympathetically.

"It helps to have friends nearby," the girl replied wrapping her arm around April and pulling her into a side hug.

"Maya, I think this is the beginning of a beautiful womance," April said before both girls burst out laughing.

"True story bra," Maya giggled.

April immediately stopped laughing when she heard the familiar phrase used by Michelangelo. All of a sudden that weird feeling was eating at the red head more than ever.

"Come April we will be late for school," Maya said pulling April from her thoughts.

"Right," the red head replied before the girls quickly got themselves ready and left for school.

…

After school was out for the day Maya quickly said goodbye to her friends and classmates before taking off. Her first stop was at the New York City Aquarium where no one knew that the team that studied marine life was entirely made up of merfolk. A friend of Maya's father from their pod was in charge of the team and was very particular about who allowed to be a part of it. Isla was currently working as his assistant so they had complete access to that sector of the building.

This included access to the aquariums themselves, Maya would often be allowed to swim with the fish after close when she was feeling home sick. Isla didn't feel so confident about swimming at the aquarium where security cameras or guards could spot them so easily. She preferred the privacy and safety that swimming in the lair provided for both herself, her son and Maya.

Isla was currently working on some research to bring a rare tropical fish to the aquarium but it would be impossible if it couldn't co-exist with the other species in its habitat. The woman was brought out of her thoughts rather abruptly when she felt her chair violently shake back and forth.

"EARTHQUAKE!" Maya cried as she pushed her pod sister's chair back and forth.

"Very funny," Isla said in an annoyed tone trying to hide the smirk on her face.

Maya only chuckled at her sister before reaching down under the desk and grabbed her hockey bag from underneath. After making sure she grabbed her T-phone, earphones and wallet Maya put her school bag under the desk.

"What time will you be home tonight? Will you require dinner?" Isla asked.

"This one will return home by 8 'clock at the latest and yes please if it is not a bother," Maya replied putting her wallet in her hockey bag and her phone in her coat pocket.

"Of course it's a bother but this one is required to feed you by law. This one will simply have to bear putting plastic wrap over the food this one had intended to make anyway to feed herself and her messy baby," Isla replied sarcastically before giving a dramatic sigh.

"Sounds like a personal problem," Maya teased her sister before stealing her granola bar off her desk and turned to leave.

"Hey! That was the last blueberry one!" Isla shouted to the girl as she darted down the hall.

"Personal problem!" the girl shouted back making the older mermaid shake her head as she chuckled to herself.

Isla watched as Maya left before a hand on her shoulder caught her attention. The woman looked up to see her team leader Dax smiling at her with kind dark greenish grey eyes.

"This one is glad to see her in such good spirits once again," the man said.

"Yes," Isla replied returning the smile.

"You're light has returned also. He would be pleased to see both of his girls living for their future instead of suffering from memories of the past," Dax said.

Isla said nothing but instead squeezed the man's hand and nodded to him in agreement. After the pair shared a silent moment both returned their attention to work.

…

The turtles were waiting on Maya before they could begin their training. Master Splinter had something planned that he hoped would both encourage his son's interest in martial arts and encourage Maya being more aggressive against an opponent regardless of who it was.

"I get she has small legs but holy crap she is taking forever," Raph growled out as he continued to hit his punching bag.

"Give it a rest Raph she'll get here when she gets here," Leo said over his shoulder not taking his eyes off of his show.

"Here!" Maya screamed as he ran in through the entrance.

She stopped in front of the couches before bending over so that her hands were resting on her knees to catch her breath.

"Maya you ok?" Leo asked the panting girl.

The silver haired mermaid continued to try to catch her breath as she looked over to the blue masked turtle and replied, "ya…sure."

Master Splinter entered the room when he heard Maya make her panicked entrance. He calmly walked over to the girl and rested a gentle hand on her shoulder.

"Child you need not rush here from school. We can schedule training so that you do not need to rush to us this way," Splinter said kindly.

"This one…just…didn't want to be late," Maya explained as she calmed her breathing.

Splinter smiled at the girl before he replied, "good news you made it just in time now grab your things. Donatello is fetching Michelangelo and I will explain today's training."

Leo, Raph and Maya followed Splinter over to the dojo where Donny and Mikey were already waiting for them to begin. The five teenagers quickly took their positions kneeling in front of Master Splinter before he began giving them instructions.

"Today like I have told you we are doing something different. I wish to combine the way I have trained you with the way Maya has been trained with her pod," Splinter said watching the shocked faces on the children.

"Michelangelo, Maya; you two will be a team. You both must protect each other from your opponents while at the same time protecting yourselves. Leonardo, you will lead your brothers to attack them with all of your skills," the sensei explained.

Leo was never one to back down from a training challenge and he certainly wasn't one to question his father. However this time was different, this time he was being asked to intentionally harm his baby brother.

"Sensei…" the oldest turtle started to say but was cut off by his father.

"You will lead your brothers to attack Michelangelo and Maya as if they were your enemy is that clear," Splinter repeated in a tone that left no room for argument.

"Hai Sensei," they all replied before they hesitantly stood up.

"You will have two minutes to come up with a strategy to defeat your opponents. Time starts now," Splinter said pressing the button on a timer he had sitting beside him.

Mikey and Maya walked over to once side of the dojo and began whispering to each other. Leo looked over to the pair and could see how nervous the pair were about this training exercise which in turn made Leo start to feel nervous.

_'What if we accidentally hurt them?' _Leo thought anxiously.

"So what's the plan Fearless? We ain't actually gonna attack them with everything we got are we," Raph said pulling Leo from his thoughts.

"I don't think we have a choice here Raph. Don't forget that Mikey has been trained like we have, he won't be holding back either," Leo explained.

"What about Maya? She was trained to not attack her pod," Donny wondered concern etched all over his face.

"That's just it Donny we're not her pod, Mikey is," Leo said making his brothers both give him strange looks.

"Master Splinter is trying to get her to train with us by getting her to imagine that Mikey is her pod, she needs to protect him. Then to imagine that we are her enemy, a threat to the pod," The blue masked turtle explained.

"You think she'll be able to attack us the way sensei wants her to," Donny said looking over to team M&amp;M and felt a tightness in his chest when he saw Mikey with his hands on either side of Maya's face saying something to her.

"I hope so. Mikey would be livid if we accidentally hurt Maya," Leo explained.

"Then we go after Mikey," Raph piped in.

"We attack him and maybe that'll piss of Maya enough to get her to attack us. Remember how much she hated Dogpound just from the stories about him?" Raph explained.

Leo nodded before he replied, "alright we'll go with that and hope for the best."

…

"Mikey this one does not know if she can attack her friends," Maya said to Mikey nervously.

"Then we won't attack them," Mikey replied making Maya give him a confused look.

"We'll just _defend_ ourselves with everything we got. You watch my back and I'll watch yours, we'll protect each other okay," the orange masked turtle explained.

The mermaid still looked nervous as she nodded her head scared that she was going to disappoint her best friend. She was brought out of her thoughts when Mikey gently put his hands on either side of her face making her look at him.

"You won't let me down," Mikey said confidently.

"How can you possibly know that?" Maya asked.

"Same way you know I'm not gonna let you down. We're team M&amp;M, tag team champions of the world son!" the turtle replied making Maya giggle.

"Just remember I'm right behind you," Mikey said removing his hands from her face so that he could wrap an arm around the girl.

"Time is up. Please get into position," Splinter said.

He watched curiously as Maya and Mikey walked to the center of the sparing mat and stood face to face with their weapons at their side. Leo, Raph and Donny surrounded them, staring at the pair curiously with their weapons as their sides.

When he was sure they were all ready, Master Splinter shouted, "Begin!"

All three brothers immediately jumped the pair, Leo and Donny target Mikey while Raph went after Maya. At this point neither one of team M&amp;M had moved from their stationary position until their opponents were about land their blows upon them. The three older turtles were shocked when their attacks were suddenly stopped in the most peculiar way. Maya had wrapped her arms around Mikey's neck; she had stopped both attacks from Leo and Donny by trapping their weapons in a protective x shape over the turtle's head with her weapons. Mikey had also crossed his arms over Maya to catch Raph's sais with his nun chucks.

With a smirk Mikey uncrossed his arms sending Raph's arms across his chest and his weapons flying across the dojo. Maya made no expression as she watched Leo and Donny struggle to free their weapons. Suddenly the girl released her grip on the weapons before she gave a high pitched scream sending both boys flying into the wall of the dojo along with the katanas and bo staff.

The three older turtles quickly grabbed their weapons while Mikey and Maya turned so that they were now back to back. Raph was the first to attack the pair again this time going after his baby brother. Mikey made no movement as he watched his brother coming at him. Suddenly Raph found his weapons stopped abruptly once again but by Maya, she had turned herself sideways and positioned her arms so that one husk was covering her front while the other had stopped the attack coming at the orange masked turtle.

"What the hell," Raph said out loud before he felt himself being hit by Mikey's nun chucks.

Master Splinter watched the sparing match with a hint of a smile gracing his face. His plan had worked and now all of his pupils were fighting to their fullest potential. He had to admit he could not have foreseen this working as well as it had. He watched as his three oldest sons silently communicated and knew what was about to happen.

All three turtles ambushed the pair in the middle weapons ready to slay their opponents and gain their victory. However they were not prepared when team M&amp;M suddenly started attacking them back with defensive movements. No matter where they attacked Maya and Mikey were always blocking attacks to either protect themselves or each other. Where ever they moved they were always back to back. The way they were fighting was perfectly in sync with one another as if they were performing a beautiful dance together.

The brothers kept attacking until finally they were all out of breath and beginning to get tired from attacking the pair. All at once the five teenagers all stopped fighting and stood in front of each other until suddenly three turtles slid to the floor with a thud completely exhausted.

Maya and Mikey bowed their opponents on the ground before going over to Master Splinter and knelt before him.

"Never did I think I would ever say this but Michelangelo I am very impressed," Splinter explained.

Leo, Raph and Donny needless to say hurt more in their pride then any physical injury from the sparing match. They had been bested by their wacky little brother and a little girl. Raph was probably the most steamed of his brothers about the defeat and looked over to the pair with a dark expression on his face.

"You two are by far the most natural team mates I have come across in some time. Not only are you completely in sync with one another but you also know how to fight based on each other's strength and abilities. Your focus was completely on protecting one another as well as protecting yourselves which I had imagined was the focus of the fighting done among your pod Maya. On top of that you both have the ability to speak silently to one another," Splinter said with pride.

Leo and Donny could feel the rage coming off their red masked brother as they listened to their sensei praise the pair. They knew the exact reason for the bubbling anger as well. Leo and Raph may have been the strongest together but it was when they were teamed up with their younger siblings that they were balanced. Up until now it had been Raph and Mikey who had been the naturals at being sparing partners. The red masked turtle kept Mikey focused on the task while the younger turtle kept his brother calm during a battle.

"What bull,"Raph hissed out.

"Raphael, perhaps you need some time to reflect on today's training," Splinter suggested trying to keep his son calm.

"Ya I'll do that sensei, I'm gonna reflect right here and now. What the hell Mikey?!" Raph said turning his rage onto his youngest brother.

"What's your problem all of a sudden? Mad cause I beat you for once," Mikey replied trying to be funny.

"Ya wanna know why I'm mad ya little twerp. WE were the ones that were supposed to be partners, WE were the ones that were supposed to be best friends. All this time you could fight like that and ya didn't even try to use it to protect one of us! Your family!" Raph yelled.

"Bro wait," Mikey said but the hot head wouldn't hear of it.

"NO YOU PUT SOME GIRL BEFORE YOUR OWN BROTHERS! YOU'D RATHER GET BETTER AT FIGHTING TO PROTECT HER THEN TO PROTECT YOUR CLAN! FUCK YOU!" Raph screamed.

"RAPHAEL THAT IS ENOUGH!" Splinter screamed over his son slamming his cane into the ground causing an echoing boom to sound throughout the lair.

Maya up until this point had said nothing in shock of Raphael's burst of rage. It was disturbing to see the two brothers this way. She looked over to Leo and Donny and could see a similar expression showing in their eyes.

"This one has brought conflict into this home," Maya said so quietly it was almost a whisper.

All four turtles turned and looked at the girl who was still kneeling with her arms crossed over her chest looking as though she was giving herself a hug.

"It isn't you specifically Maya," Donny said gently.

"It has always been the four of us and we swore we would always protect each other. That we would get stronger to protect the little that we had," Leo explained.

"Ya…till you showed up and suddenly all Mikey cares about is _you," _Raph said bitterly.

Before Splinter could step in and soothe the situation Maya had already grabbed her weapons and stood up to go get her bag.

"This one did not mean to cause rifts between your pod. This one is sorry for causing a mess," she said before walking out of the dojo.

"MAYA WAIT!" Mikey cried as he ran after her.

The three remaining brothers watched their baby brother chase after Maya before realizing that they had just made a horrible mistake. They looked to their father who had an unreadable expression on his face before he turned and went to his room.

…

"May please don't go," Mikey begged as he caught up to her and grabbed her arm to stop her.

"This one is sorry Mikey but she has caused trouble here…this one should leave," Maya said as tears began forming in her eyes.

"No! Maya please don't do this. They're just sore cause they got their asses handed to them you're aren't causing any problems I swear," Mikey said.

Maya smiled at her friend as tears rolled down her cheeks and she wrapped her arms around Mikey's neck.

"The last thing this one ever wanted was to be the cause of someone losing their loved ones. Please go be with your brothers and fix things with them," Maya said beginning to sob as Mikey wrapped his arms around her and hugged her tightly to his chest.

"I-I need you here to," Mikey replied as he choked back his own sobs.

"Not as much as you need your family Michelangelo…this one is so so sorry," Maya said pulling out of the hug and resting her hands on his face.

"You will always be this one's amazing friend…this one will always love you," Maya said before she quickly let go and walked away leaving Mikey completely devastated.

…

Leo, Raph and Donny were all waiting in the living room when Mikey walked back in with tears streaming down his face.

"Mikey, what happened?" Leo asked immediately in big brother mode set off by a crying baby brother.

"S-she said she didn't want to be the reason we couldn't get along…she said I needed you guys more then I needed her," Mikey explained.

"No, Mikey we never wanted her to go away. That's never what we meant," Donny said feeling horrible about the whole thing.

"I know bro. It's fine," Mikey said in a defeated tone and he began to walk out of the room.

He was stopped by a hand on his shoulder and turned to see it was Raph staring him with shock and guilt written all over his face.

"I'm sorry-" Raph managed to say before Mikey cut him off.

"It's ok bro just…I just want to be alone for a while," Mikey said brushing his brother's hand off his shoulder before he went to his room and shut the door cutting himself off from his family.

…

Splinter had left his sons thinking it would be better to let them fix their mistake on their own. Now it was his youngest that suffered for it hiding in his room trying to cry softly enough so that his brothers wouldn't hear him. The rat made his way to his son's room when he heard his youngest son suffering alone and gently knocking on the door.

"Come in sensei," Mikey mumbled.

When he walked in his heart broke at the sight of the boy curled up in his bed clinging on to his duct tapped teddy bear.

"How did you know it was me?" Splinter asked.

"I never hear you coming till the knocking starts," Mikey replied sitting up still holding the bear.

Splinter quickly went over to the boy and sat down on his bed before pulling his son into a warm embrace.

"I am sorry Michelangelo. I should have stopped them before it got that far," Splinter said as he felt tears begin to soak his robes.

"Not your fault sensei," the boy replied snuggling further into his father's embrace before the pair became silent for a time.

After a few minutes of listening to his son sob Master Splinter heard his son ask him, "Father, it hurts so much. How do I make it stop?"

Splinter hugged his son tighter to his chest and said, "My sweet boy I wish I could take your pain away but only time can heal such things."

Mikey only nodded as he held onto his father just as he did when he was a child. He fell asleep in his father's arms listening to him hum an old Japanese lullaby that he used to sing to him and his brothers as children.

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All done for now please don't forget to review and tell me what you think! Till next time readers take care :)


	16. Chapter 16

Hello everyone, hope you are all doing well. So not not to spoil anything I own nothing in this chapter except the mermaids :) Anyway on with the chapter, enjoy!

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It hadn't even been twenty four hours since the training fiasco but to three turtles it felt like a lifetime ago. Mikey had locked himself inside his room refusing to leave and refusing to let anybody into his room except Master Splinter. The three oldest turtles had tried on numerous occasions to apologize to Mikey and try to coax him out of his room but he would just insist that he had forgiven them and just wanted to be left alone.

The only time Mikey would be seen outside of his room was when Splinter had to use his parental control and demand that his youngest join his family for meals and training. Leo, Raph and Donny almost wished he would stop making the youngest join them because it would just stare at the ground silently. When he did lift his head up he would always spot something that reminded him of the mermaid before tears would stream down his face. Michelangelo was in a word, devastated and in turn devastating his brothers who could only blame themselves for their brother's misery.

One day after training Raph decided he was gonna do something about all this and followed his brother as he made his way over to his room.

"Raph don't," Leo cautioned.

Ignoring his brother the red masked turtle continued to follow his brother to his room and planted his arm on the inside wall of Mikey's room as he tried to shut the door.

"Leave me alone bro…not in the mood," Mikey said in a meek tone that was not often heard from the fun loving turtle.

"You don't seem to be in the mood for a lot of things these days," Raph replied.

Mikey stared at his older brother with an unreadable expression before he began once again staring at the floor.

"Look kid I know we messed up with Maya. I can't even begin to tell you sorry I am for tha-"

"I said it's fine Raph, like a million times already…I don't wanna talk about it anymore okay just…leave me alone," the turtle replied sounding almost as if he was begging.

Hurt flashed across Raph's face as he let his baby brother shove his arm out of the way of the door before shutting it in his face. The red masked turtle just stared at the door completely lost about what to do about the situation. A hand on his shoulder made Raph turn around to see Leo giving him a sympathetic smile.

"Ya know sometimes I think it would be better if he would just scream, get mad at us, _something_…better then him tellin' us he forgives us like he usually does and then avoidin' like we're the freaking plague or somethin'," Raph admitted sadly.

"I know…I'm no closer to finding a solution but I guess we just give it time," Leo said sadly.

The pair walked out into the living room where Donny was sitting on the couch looking just as lost as Leo and Raph.

"Still no dice?" Donny asked as the two plopped on to the couch looking defeated.

"Nope. Runt is being stubborn as usual," Raph mumbled.

"Think he'll ever forgive us and mean it?" Donny asked again after a few minutes.

Leo sighed before he answered, "We screwed up pretty bad…but I mean we're brothers it's not like he's gonna hate us."

Raph chuckled before he said, "I don't think Mikey is even capable of hating someone. Not liking them sure, but not hate."

"What's the difference?" the oldest turtle asked.

"Not liking someone just means you'd rather not be around them at all. To hate someone though…hating someone means to truly wish that person was never in your life to begin with," Donny explained.

…

Mikey was hiding under a blanket in his room when he heard a knock at the door. He really didn't want to see anyone but he also didn't have it in him to put up a fight to get them to leave either. After mumbling at whoever it was to come in, he peeked out from under the blanket to see it was Leo. The oldest turtle stared sadly at the box of action figures, comic books and drawing supplies along with his sketch book that Mikey couldn't bear to use anymore now that Maya was gone.

_'He feels guilty' _Mikey thought as he observed his brother.

_'Good he deserves it' _the turtle thought bitterly.

The dark thought surprised the orange masked turtle and he quickly gave his head a shake feeling bad for even wanting to think something like that about one of his brothers. He then turned his attention to the still distracted leader.

"What do you want Leo?" Mikey asked in a slightly annoyed tone.

"Sensei needs us out on patrol…those mutagen canisters won't find themselves," the blue masked turtle explained gently.

Mikey stared at his brother suspiciously before he replied, "Give me a minute I just need to get my stuff."

Leo nodded his head before leaving his brother's room to allow the younger turtle to do what he needed to do before they left for patrol. He wandered back over to his brothers who were waiting for him in the sunken living room.

"How'd it go?" Donny asked.

Leo stopped walking and looked over at his younger brother with a hurt expression before he said, "it was like seeing me bothered him…like he was tolerating me being in his room."

Both Raphael and Donatello looked at their brother in shock. Their youngest sibling was never annoyed by them wanting to come talk to him, he craved it. To have Mikey not want to hang out with them, to find his brothers a bother was probably more painful to handle then someone twisting a knife in their hearts. Suddenly a very real and disturbing thought crossed all of their minds.

"Funny how the tables have turned and we're the ones chasing after his attention," Raph said as guilt consumed him.

Donny nodded with a sigh before he added, "And this is what it feels like when we treat him like he's something to put up with cause we have to."

The sounds of footsteps ended their conversation and all three turtles looked up to see Mikey walking towards them looking his miserable self. He spared them a glance but said nothing as he walked past them towards the entrance to their home.

"Come on let's get this over with," the orange masked turtle growled.

Never in their lives did they think they would ever live to see the day Michelangelo would turn into Raphael but apparently today was that day. As the three oldest brothers caught up to the youngest they noticed it wasn't just Raphael the orange turtle had adopted traits from but his other two older brothers as well.

He walked with the weight of the world on his shoulders like Leonardo always did when he went to the surface with his brothers as their leader. His face was set in a permanent expression of disappointment that Donny wore when he spoke or even thought of April and being rejected by her.

The three brothers looked at their baby brother and saw their biggest weaknesses that they hated about themselves.

The four turtles were quiet as they searched the city looking for canisters but ultimately they came up empty. Frustrated and tired they stopped on top of an apartment building to take a quick rest before they returned home. Even as they took their break Michelangelo still adamantly distanced himself from his three older brothers. All four turtles sat in an uncomfortable silence, three pairs of eyes focused on Mikey while his eyes were glued to the ground.

Leo decided he would be the one to take this as an opportunity to try and clear the air with Michelangelo and gently approached him before sitting down beside him. He noticed he had something in his hand and curiously leaned over to see what his brother was holding. The blue masked turtle felt a tightness in his chest when he saw it was a VHS copy of _'The Little Mermaid'_.

"Good choice..." Leo said awkwardly trying desperately to start a conversation.

Mikey only looked over at him with a sad smile before returning his gaze back to the movie cover in his hands. Leo observed how Mikey's body language was basically screaming at him to go away and leave the orange masked turtle alone. However Leo was a very stubborn turtle, especially when it came to one of his brothers.

"Listen Mikey...we know you're probably still mad at us…"

"Not mad bro," Mikey interrupted.

"You've said that but you've been avoiding us," Leo replied.

Mikey huffed before turning to his brother with an unimpressed look on his face before finally releasing his anger on all of his brothers.

"I'M NOT MAD!" he screamed sending the three older turtles into silent shock.

The orange masked turtle stood up and walked away a bit before turning back to his brothers looking absolutely furious.

"Even if I was mad do you blame me?!" Mikey exclaimed as he glared at each turtle individually.

"Mike-" Donny said but was stopped by Michelangelo.

"NO! You guys shut up it's my turn to talk now…We were like peanut butter and Oreos, grilled cheese and tomato soup, Allan and Madison from Splash…Tom Hanks would totally look like me if he turned into a mutant turtle! You guys got mad and scared her away from me…could you really blame me if I hated you guys a little for that?" the orange masked turtle screamed.

After Mikey's rant he gave his brothers once last depressed glance before he turned and left to return home by himself. The three older turtles were too stunned to stop him, they looked as though they were all stuck by a vicious physical blow rather than a verbal assault.

Then again no physical blow could compare to the heartbreak of hearing from their baby brother that he wanted nothing to do with them.

"I take it back," Raph said suddenly breaking the silence.

"Take what back?" Leo asked trying to hide the fact that his voice was cracking from holding back his emotions.

"This is worse," the red masked turtle replied completely guilt ridden.

…

April was usually very attentive during classes absorbing all the new information as best as she could making notes for tests and assignments. Today however she couldn't help being distracted by the girl sitting beside her. Maya's hair was unkempt and wild, her eyes red with dark circles underneath them as if she had only stopped crying moments ago.

The red head felt a tap on her shoulder and turned slightly to see Casey Jones looking at her. He had a concerned look on his face as he beckoned towards Maya, April could only shrug her shoulders indicating she had no idea what was going on.

All day long April and Casey along with others in their class would ask they girl if everything was alright but she would give a fake smile and say nothing was wrong. Last period during art class however was when Maya could no longer continue hiding her pain. It was that breaking moment when the teacher brought up the discussion topic.

"Class, today we will be discussing the work of the one and only Michelangelo…"

Like turning on a switch Maya burst into tears and began sobbing uncontrollably. The class including the teacher were stunned as April seemed to teleport to her side wrapping her arms protectively around her friend. The red head gently half carried the tiny girl away from her desk and out into the hall followed by Casey Jones.

"Maya…what happened in there?" April gently demanded her friend.

The silver haired teen sobbed into her friend's chest before reluctantly pulling away to meet the red head's concerned gaze.

"Michael," Maya said simply before sobbing again.

"What did he do?" Casey hissed with clenched fists ready to rip the kid's head off for hurting his friend.

The girl instantly turned to the black haired boy before she hastily explained, "it wasn't him…it is this one's fault."

"Maya, what is your fault? Take a minute to calm down and explain," April instructed.

The girl nodded her head before she did as she was told. She took a minute to take several deep breathes before finally settling down and looking up at April again.

"Micheal…he is close with his brothers. They became upset when I stole all of his time away from them…they were right to be upset, this one shouldn't have brought conflict into their home…Michael insisted that nothing of the sort was happening but this one could see the truth. This one did not want to tear a family apart...this one loves Michelangelo but she needed to let him go to protect his relationship with his brothers," Maya explained before bursting into tears once more.

April was in shock when she heard the full name of Maya's mystery friend. The red head didn't notice when Casey pulled Maya away from her and into his own protective embrace. She didn't notice when the bell rang and the black haired teen said he was going to walk the girl back to her apartment.

All that was on April O'Neil's mind was finding the best recipe to make mutant ninja turtle soup.

…

Leo, Raph and Donny sat in Donny's lab as they listened to Mikey watching _'The Little Mermaid'_. He had found it on patrol the night before and this was only the eighth time he had watched it this afternoon. They supposed bearing with this was part of their punishment for what they had done to their baby brother and his friend.

"GO AFTER HER DUMB ASS!" Mikey screamed at the television.

The three brothers winced before looking out towards where their baby brother was sitting clutching his teddy bear.

"This is worse than Leo and Space Heroes," Raph mumbled rubbing his eyes with the heels of his hands ignoring the glare his older brother was giving him.

Master Splinter watched over his youngest son sadly wishing there was something he could do for the poor turtle to ease his pain.

Suddenly a ghost of a smile graced his face when he could hear the sounds of angry stomping storming towards his home in the distance. The sensei remained calm and uncaring as he watched over his son when the sounds of footsteps began stomping past him.

"Master Splinter," April greeted with an unintentional growl.

"Miss O'Neil," Splinter replied trying to hide his amusement.

April didn't stop until she found all three turtles hiding away in Donny's lab and walked in before closing the only way in or out of Donny's sanctuary.

"WHAT THE HELL IS WRONG WITH YOU MEAN GREEN DUMB ASS MACHINES?!" April screamed.

Leo, Raph and Donny were not only caught off guard by someone sneaking up and screaming at them but also because that person was April.

"Oh my God…April I can't believe-"

"CAN IT!" the red head interrupted Donny.

"Yes Ma'am," Donny replied absolutely terrified when he thought he saw flames shooting out of the girl's eyes.

"I CANNOT BELIEVE YOU THREE WOULD HAVE THE AUDACITY TO STICK YOUR BREAKS WHERE THEY DON'T BELONG!"

"April…"

"DID I GIVE YOU PERMISSION TO SPEAK?!" the short girl screamed as she glared at the oldest turtle who held up his hands in surrender before backing away slowly.

"I have been watching out for that girl as both her tutor and her friend since she started school and it has been nothing but Michael this and Michael that since…"

"_You're _Maya's tutor?" Raph asked in surprise.

"PROBLEM?" April roared at the red masked turtle.

"Oh hell no," he replied backing away slightly.

April took several deep breathes to gather her thoughts before seeing a bookshelf and walked over. She then began chucking textbooks across the room at the turtles with impressive strength.

"April what the hell is wrong with you?" Raph growled as a thick book hit him right in the head.

"What's wrong with me? WHAT'S WRONG WITH YOU THREE STOOGES?! NOT ONLY HAVE YOU DEVASTATED MY FRIEND BUT YOU HURT MIKEY! YOUR BABY BROTHER OF ALL PEOPLE!" the girl screamed throwing one last textbook on physics that smacked Donny right in the face.

When she ran out of books she stomped over to the turtles who were now cowering from the shorter red head.

"Fix this or I end you," April hissed before turning around and making her way over to Mikey.

…

When she found him April's anger instantly melted away turning into big sister mode when she saw the state Mikey was in. Quietly she walked over and sat down beside the turtle who had tears streaming down his face at the scene playing of Ariel returning to her prince on the beach with the help of her father's magic.

"Mikey," April whispered gently.

The orange masked turtle turned around in surprise to see his human friend sitting beside him with a smile on her face.

"Holy crap, April what are you doing here?" Mikey asked in shock.

"Maya," the red head replied gently.

Instantly tears were streaming down Mikey's face as he let April pull him to her chest into a protective embrace.

"Is she okay?" Mikey mumbled into her shirt.

"She misses you like crazy…she's miserable without you," April explained.

Mikey sniffled before he said, "I dunno what to do…I wanna go to her but she won't answer her phone at all and then there's the bros…"

"Don't worry about them Mikey I sorted them right out," the girl said glaring in the direction of the lab.

"They're gonna fix things even if it's the last thing they do," April explained with a smile.

"How do you know?" Mikey asked.

April just smiled and explained, "because they are your brothers Mikey and they love you…besides if they don't I told them I would kill them slowly."

Mikey smirked at that and even chuckled a little bit as April hugged him tighter. The orange masked turtle suddenly remembered something and pulled away from April to look at her face to face.

"April…I am so, so, sorry about what happened with your dad. I swear on all that is pizza that we tried to stop it," Mikey said.

"I know it's…well it's not okay but I'm not mad anymore. I know you guys will figure something out," the red head replied simply hugging her friend as tight as she could knowing she couldn't hurt him and he needed the comfort.

"You're the best. I love you April…you know…like a bro," Mikey whispered hugging the girl back just as tight.

April couldn't help snorting before she replied, "Love you to Mikey."

…

April held Mikey until he fell asleep before gently laying him down on the couch and covering him with a blanket. She smiled at him one last time before walking towards the exit feeling happy despite the circumstances about returning to the lair. As she was about to leave she was only a little bit surprised to see Master Splinter blocking her path.

"I'm not apologizing for what I said," April said crossing her arms.

"I wouldn't dream of it Miss O'Neil. I simply wish to give you gratitude for knocking some sense into them while looking out for both Michelangelo and Maya. I know it must not have been easy to decide to return to this place," Splinter explained gently.

April stared at Splinter before she said, "Just because I was mad at them doesn't mean I stopped caring."

Splinter nodded before he replied, "spoken like a true friend."

April nodded with a smile before she began to walk past Master Splinter but was quickly stopped by a hand on her shoulder. She looked up at the former human with a curious expression on her face as he smiled back at her.

"Do not be a stranger here April, visit us soon. We never stopped caring about you either. You are just as much my child as my sons are…and my most promising pupil," Splinter said making April chuckle at the last part.

"Promise…good night Master Splinter," April said as she began to leave.

"Be safe my child," Splinter replied as he watched her leave.

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All done for now goodnight everyone and don't forget to review the lady!


	17. Chapter 17

Oh my god I hate writer's block like nothing else. Plus I think all this heat has been frying my brain ugh. Anyway enough whining on with the story I say! Thank you again for the reviews everyone :)

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True to her word April became a frequent visitor to the lair coming as often as she could. Like clockwork she would find and make sure the three older turtles were doing as they were told about fixing the mess they had caused. She would then proceed to have a training session with Master Splinter before sitting down with Mikey while he miserably watched _The Little Mermaid _over and over again. One day as per normal the red head was sitting with Mikey as he watched the move and couldn't being curious about something.

"THE SEA WITCH IS POISONING YOUR MIND MAN!" Mikey screamed at the tv.

April winced slightly at the sudden angry scream coming from her friend. She was almost used to the turtle's outburst during certain scenes in the movie.

"Hey uh Mikey…can I ask you something?" April asked hoping to distract her friend from screaming out loud.

"Ya sure," Mikey replied before getting up off the floor and sitting beside April on the couch.

"Well I was just wondering…Mikey do you need to talk?...You know, about everything?" the girl asked hesitantly.

Mikey stared at her letting his expressionless mask fall revealing the sad defeated turtle that he had been trying to hide.

"Please Mikey don't shut yourself away. You don't talk to your brothers, you barely talk to Splinter…I'm pretty sure you're just tolerating me," April said.

Mikey quickly grabbed April's hand and squeezed it tightly as if the human girl would suddenly disappear if he let go of her.

"Don't go away," Mikey replied sounding as if he was begging her not to leave him.

April smiled at the turtle before laying her other hand on top of his and gave it a reassuring squeeze.

"Mikey look at me," she demanded gently and her heart broke when the turtle's sad baby blues looked up at her.

"I'm not leaving you ever again okay. I'm right here but I'm also really worried about you and so is your family," April explained.

"Promise not to tell my brothers anything?" Mikey asked hopefully.

April was about to answer when something caught her eye and she looked up to see Raph stopped dead in his tracks on the way to the kitchen. Judging by the look on his face, the red masked turtle had heard their conversation and it had broken his heart. The red head was caught between a rock and a hard place; on one hand she felt awful for Raph and couldn't imagine what he could be feeling after hearing his brother wanted to keep things from him…but on the other, he and the others had made their bed and in the process hurt their beloved baby brother that they had sworn to protect.

Mikey noticed how quiet his friend was and called her name to make sure she was still ok. April seemed to snap back to reality and gave her head a shake before turning her attention back on Mikey.

"Sorry Mikey…yes I promise but only on the condition that you tell them eventually. Regardless of what they have done you know they still love you and would gladly die to see you happy," April said before looking back up for a brief moment to meet Raphael's gaze.

Although his eyes were full of sadness and regret he still managed to give April a grateful smile before he disappeared.

...

Raph had left to give the pair some space to talk. If April was gonna be the one that got their baby brother out of his funk then he was more than happy to swallow his pride and step back. However this did not stop the turtle from feeling like he had failed Mikey and relentlessly beat himself up about what he had said to Maya. The memory of the mermaid's tear stained face as she left the lair after the way they had treated her had been permanently burned into his mind.

_'If anybody did that to any of my brothers I'd skin them alive…what the hell is my problem?' _Raph thought miserably as he made his way to the lab where he and his brothers had been hiding from April.

As he walked in he could hear his brothers talking about how they were gonna fix this mess they were in. So far any plan they had come up with had failed miserably from trying to call the mermaid to asking Isla to pass on messages for them. Although still upset with the turtles for what they had done to her sister, for the sake of Maya and Mikey's friendship she was willing to put her feelings aside to help the turtles on their quest.

"So any new plans?" the red masked turtle asked his brothers.

Leo just shook his head his face expressing _'for the love of mutation DON'T ASK!'_

"Well I did have one idea but it is complicated," Donny said.

"Now you've done it," Leo said to Raph before he laid in his head in on his arms that were resting on the table.

"Hush Leo it's perfect…My plan is that he follow Maya all over New York strategically leaving things that will deliberately make her think of Mikey. We'll keep leaving the signs and make a trail leading all the way back to her apartment. This is where it gets really good…when she gets there we will have Mikey already in the living room waiting with pizza and comic books and voila! Team M&amp;M is back in action," Donny explained excitedly.

Raph stared at him completely dumbfounded before he reluctantly replied, "So you wanna stalk Maya _all_ over New York so that you can leave Mikey's stuff _all_ over the place. Then lead her, to _her own _apartment, using Mikey's junk just to have Mikey sitting in her living room like a stalker with _more _of his crap…great plan Don."

Leo couldn't help chuckling from where he was sitting at the table until he suddenly stopped and lifted up his head as an idea came to him.

"Wait a second…I think Donny's on to something here," Leo said making Raph stare at him and Don smile smugly.

"You wanna stalk Maya and leave Mikey's crap everywhere that's your business," Raph replied.

"No, that's dumb," Leo replied.

"HEY!" Donny yelled defensively.

"It does give me an idea though," Leo continued ignoring his younger brother.

Raph raised an eyebrow at him before the oldest turtle explained, "He simply ask Isla if there is anywhere Maya goes where we could have some privacy. We go beg her for forgiveness and somehow get her to come back to the lair so she can see how miserable Mikey is without her."

"That!...admittedly is a better plan," Donny mumbled.

"Ya…Wanting to make Mikey happy and doing what's best for him seems to be her sweet spot," Raph replied.

"Okay then. I'll go call Isla and see if she can help us out," Leo said before getting up to go get his phone in his room.

"What should we do?" Raph asked Donny as they watched their oldest brother leave the lab.

"I guess go work on the best apology speech you've ever done in your entire life and hope for the best," the purple masked turtle replied.

…

Karai sat in her father's chair as the foot bots approached her reluctantly before kneeling before her and bowing their heads in respect to their leader. The girl's face was set into a permanent expression of anger and annoyance. She rose from the throne of the Shredder and stared down at her minions with anticipation until finally she could stand it no longer.

"Well?" she demanded.

All five of the foot bots shook their heads silently knowing that their fates were sealed. Karai clenched her fists in fury before turning away from the mechanical ninjas and walked over to the magnificent window in her father's chamber that over looked the entire city. She stared out of it glaring at the spectacular view.

"Find the mermaid. Do not return to this place until you do…I shall see to it that your demise is slow and agonizing if you choose to come to me empty handed. Am I clear?" Karai hissed.

The foot bots all rose at the same time and bowed their heads grateful for the rare demonstration of their mistress' mercy. Soon they disappeared silently into the shadows to complete the task that had been assigned to them.

Karai continued to gaze out of the window even after they left impatiently waiting for her prize that would guarantee her good favor with her father Shredder. Since her many failures at capturing the turtles the man had become quite cold to his daughter; even going as far as to threaten her entitlement to being next in line to rule over the foot clan.

"I will have what is rightfully mine by using the creature's power to destroy the turtles…the Hamato clan took my mother from me, they will not take my father's love from me as well," Karai vowed to herself before retiring to her room to make plans.

…

Isla had just gotten off the phone with Leonardo about how to fix the damage the three turtles had done to their little brother and Maya. She had personally given the turtle her own earful of a scolding that he wouldn't forget any time soon. After that they put their heads together and came up with a plan to bring the wayward friends back together.

The mermaid walked into the living room and found a truly heartbreaking scene in front of her. Maya sat in front of the television watching a documentary on sea turtles with tears falling from her eyes like waterfalls.

"Maya…this one cannot tell if this is better or worse than the night Finding Nemo was on," Isla commented gently as she sat down beside the younger girl.

"Better…this one thinks," Maya replied clutching a pillow.

"Really?" Isla asked suspiciously.

"Real life turtles can't talk in a way that painfully reminds this one of Michelangelo," Maya explained before clutching the pillow tighter to her chest.

Isla quickly sat down beside the girl and pulled her into a tight embrace wishing that her hugs could stop her beloved sister's pain.

_'Bo…I don't know what I can do for her love. This one does not think Maya's heart can handle losing another loved one' _Isla thought to herself.

The pair sat in silence with Maya tucked safely in the protective arms of her older sister watching as baby Cass played with his toys on the floor. As they sat on the couch Isla debated with herself over whether or not she should do something about the situation at the risk of tampering with the plan. After a few minutes of weighing out the pros and cons the mermaid came to a decision and decided she needed to step in.

"This one just spoke to Leonardo," Isla said suddenly and felt the younger girl tense at the mention of the turtle's name.

"He tells this one you will not speak to him or any of the others including Michelangelo," the woman told her gently.

Maya reluctantly gazed up at her sister before she replied, "This one caused conflict among Mikey and his brothers…it is best that this one stays far away."

Isla smiled at the girl and kissed her head gently before she said, "They seem to disagree. Leonardo tells this one that he, Raphael and Donatello behaved rather rudely towards you. They wish to speak with you to, apologize for making you feel unwelcome and return to being friends with them but you refuse. Why?"

The younger mermaid remained silent for a moment becoming more visibly upset by the minute in turn making Isla upset. Seeing Maya upset made her feel as though she had failed to do what she had promised her beloved.

"Please young one do not shut this one away from you. Speak what is on your mind," Isla said in a pleading tone.

"They…they said Michelangelo put this one before them. One mustn't put anything above the pod in any case…I left to allow the pod to heal without this one as a…distraction," Maya explained.

Isla couldn't help the smile that graced her face as she listened to the young girl. She truly was the child of a ruler, putting everyone else's needs above her own. The woman rested a finger under the girl's chin and gently tilted it up so Maya was looking her in the eye.

"Your sacrifice is a noble one child. However it is in vain for your absence in turn damages the pod more than it heals it," Isla said.

"This one does not understand," Maya replied.

"The pod is broken without Michelangelo. Michelangelo is as broken without you as you are without him. Therefore if you truly wish to heal Michelangelo's pod then you must go to him and rekindle the friendship that you once shared," Isla explained.

Maya looked like she wanted to argue but could not find a way to do it. She seemed to mull the words in her mind trying to make sense of them when Isla pulled away from their embrace with her hands still resting on the girl's shoulders.

"This one must think about what you have said…this one needs air," Maya said getting up off the couch and grabbed her bag from the corner.

"Allow them to find you Maya. At least listen to what they have to say," the older woman said getting up off the couch as well and making her way over to her son to get him ready for bed.

"Why does this one have a strange feeling that I will be visited tonight?" Maya asked in an annoyed tone.

"Just do as you're told," Isla hollered as she walked down the hall towards her son's room.

…

Maya snuck into the aquarium without any issues thanks to both her skills as a mermaid and from her short period of training with Master Splinter. She quickly made her way down the familiar corridor where Isla worked and used the woman's card key to get into the secured areas. When the girl finally got to her destination she couldn't help smiling at the marine life that swam in the large aquariums. Maya felt very much at home here, it was her sanctuary, the one place on land other than the sewer where she felt she could truly be herself.

Without a second thought Maya ripped off her clothes and dove into the water allowing her body to transform into its natural form. The mermaid was truly happy for the first time since the night she had left her friend. The cool water washed over body relaxing her every muscle as if rinsing away all the stress that had been consuming her.

Little did she know, however that she was not alone. The girl was completely unaware of the fact that two groups of people were watching her every move. One seeking redemption while the other sought her for more sinister intentions.

…

"I don't mean to be a party pooper here but I have a bad feeling about this," Donny whispered as they traveled through the vents of the aquarium.

"You're plan genius, remember?" Raph replied not taking his eyes off of looking ahead focused on his task.

"I know that! Still I just have a bad feeling…can we hurry up and find Maya?" The purple masked turtle said sounding anxious.

"Donny's right; something is wrong," Leo chimed in from his position in front of his brothers leading them through the vent.

"What's up?"Raph asked knowing his oldest brother's instincts were never wrong.

"Not sure yet…all I know is that we need to find Maya as soon as we can. Something tells me she's not safe," the oldest turtle replied before turning around and quickly led his brothers in the direction that Isla had told him to go to find the mermaid.

When they arrived in the area where Isla directed them, it didn't take them long to find Maya. The girl was swimming carelessly through the water with a smile on her face as a school of fish chased her around in the water. The four brothers stopped and observed the playful girl before something caught Leo's keen eye, it looked like a laser pointer and it was aimed directly at Maya's neck.

_'Who else could possibly know about the mermaids? We were so careful' _the blue masked turtle thought as he felt a heaviness in his gut from the realization that someone else was there and they were going to hurt Maya.

"Up there," Raph said pointing to a figure hiding in the shadows aiming something at the oblivious mermaid girl.

"Oh my God he has a sniper. Whoever is up there is gonna shoot Maya," Donny said in horror.

"Over my dead body," Raph growled before he darted up towards the sniper who had yet to see the four mutant turtles.

"Leo come on! We need to warn Maya," Donny said urgently as he grabbed his brother's arm to pull him along with him.

…

Raph was not gonna let some freak hunt down somebody he cared about like an animal. He knew it was his fault that Maya left in the first place but he'd be damned if he stood by and let somebody stop him from fixing that mistake. Raph would never say it out loud but Maya had grown on the hot head. She, Isla and Caspian had become part of their strange little family…and nobody hurt Raph's family.

_'__Raphael's eyes are watchful and full of passion, they are the eyes of a guardian.' _

Maya's words suddenly rang in his mind as he remembered the day she had read them all like open books. She said that he was a guardian that protected his brothers from the shadows, not just some stupid hot head.

As he got closer to where he saw the figure the red masked turtle was in shock to see it was a foot bot concentrating on his task of aiming his weapon at Maya.

Without another word Raph gave the robot a surprise of his own when he ran at it and slammed his fist into the side of its head. The foot bot had just enough time to pull the trigger of his sniper before he went completely offline.

The red masked turtle looked over to where Maya was in fear but quickly blacked out when he felt something hit him in the back of the head.

…

Leo and Donny were quick to run up to the top of the aquarium before both brothers tried desperately to get the girl's attention. They were relieved when a confused Maya turned her attention to the noise they were making before her face turned into an expression of shock. The mermaid noticed the turtles making signals for her to come to them before the sound of shattering glass and a burst of pain shot up Maya's arm.

The oldest turtle was quick to dive in and swam to the girl's aid followed by Donny who was covering his brother. Leo could see the fear in Maya's eyes before her lids closed over them and she began doing a dead man's float.

_'NO!' _Leo screamed in his mind as he swam to her as fast as he could before gathering her in his arms.

A tap on his shoulder forced him to turn his attention to his scared brother who pointed over to all of the foot bots that were surrounding them.

_'What the hell are they doing here?' _Leo thought before he and Donny swam as fast as he could towards the surface but when they jumped onto the platform they got the surprise of their life.

"What's up Leo?" a familiar snarky tone greeted.

Leo looked up in shock to see that Karai was standing in front of him looking quite proud of herself with her hands on her hips and a smug smile playing on her lips.

"Thanks for grabbing my catch of the day for me," the girl snickered as more and more foot bots surrounded them.

"Maya isn't going anywhere but home," Leo hissed as he clutched the mermaid tighter to his chest.

"That's what you think," the girl said before something hit the back of Leo and Donny in back of the head.

Just before Donny blacked out he heard the tail end of Karai giving her soldiers orders about the next part of their plan.

"Take the girl to the safe house on the west end," Karai ordered.

One of the foot bots pointed to him before the girl added, "leave the turtles…their failure will be a far worse fate then death."

* * *

All done for now I hope people are still reading this. Anyway thank you again for all the support from you lovely readers and don't forget to review the lady!


	18. Chapter 18

Helllo readers! Thank you so much for all of the reviews they are all amazing and I love hearing from you all. Anyway I tried to leave you guys with a nice long chapter so enjoy :)

* * *

Casey was reluctant to go back to Maya's apartment building but the three had agreed to take turns going to each other's houses to have study sessions. This week just so happened to be Maya's turn so here he was walking towards the building with his hockey bag when something caught his eye. On the sidewalk in front of the building stood a woman and a stroller. The woman was holding grocery bags while trying to fiddle with her purse on top of the stroller. Casey Jones may look like a typical street thug but the boy's father had raised him very differently. As he approached the struggling mother he quickly recognized it to be Isla and Caspian.

"Uh hey," Casey said gently trying not to startle the woman as he got her attention.

Isla quickly looked up and smiled when she saw who was standing in front of her before replying, "Oh hello! What is the time? This one was not expecting the three of you to meet up until seven o'clock."

"I had hockey practice and figured I'd just come straight here so I'm kinda early," Casey explained before looking at the grocery bags in Isla's arms.

"And you look like you could use an extra set of arms. Here let me take these," Casey added before he carefully took Isa's groceries from her grasp.

"This one is definitely most grateful that you are early Casey. Thank you very much," Isla said with a smile before she quickly went into her purse to get her keys.

When the mermaid looked up again she couldn't help but notice how uncomfortable the boy looked staring at the ground. It was then she quickly noticed how people walking by would all give Casey cruel stares.

_'What reason do these people have to give a child such a cold look?' _Isla thought in confusion.

A business man had been across the street staring at Isla and came rushing over when he saw the boy. It wasn't until the good looking man in a tailored business suit came up behind Casey that it all suddenly became horrifyingly clear to Isla what was going on.

"Excuse me Miss is that brat bothering you?" the man sneered as he glared at Casey as if he were something revolting.

Isla quickly became irritated with the man as her maternal side kicked into over drive.

With a sharp tone Isla replied, "Can you not see that he is holding this one's groceries?"

Both the business man and Casey were surprised by the petite woman's sudden change in demeanor before the man cleared his throat.

"Beg your pardon I assumed you were being mugged by this dirty looking punk," the man said.

The man's words were enough to enrage the single mother but the look on Casey's face sent Isla over the edge. She gently pushed Casey behind her and stood in front of him protectively as a dangerous look crossed her eyes.

"HOW DARE YOU?!" she screamed making the man take a few steps back.

"Let this one tell you something Mr. Fine suit. There were many clean looking people that passed by here giving this boy harsh glares including you whom this one saw standing across the street watching and not a single one of you stopped to help this one as she struggled. He was the only one to stop and ask if this one needed assistance. So as far as this one is concerned the only dirty punk on this sidewalk is standing in front me," Isla scolded leaving the man speechless.

"Now get out of our way," the woman hissed in a tone that left no room for argument as Caspian blew a raspberry in the man's direction.

The man quickly stepped aside as Isla began pushing the stroller along. Casey promptly followed after the woman with the grocery bags giving the guy a smug smile as he passed him. The pair were silent as they walked into the apartment building and went towards the elevators. It wasn't until they were actually inside an elevator that Casey felt brave enough to speak.

"Thanks…nobody other then my dad has ever stood up for me like that before," he mumbled giving Isla a smile when she looked at him.

Like flicking a switch Isla was back to her more gentle temperament returning the smile to the young teenager.

"You are most welcome Casey Jones. This one is curious though, why did _you _not say anything when that man called you a dirty punk?" Isla replied.

Casey's gaze fell to the floor before he explained, "In my neighborhood you gotta act a certain way if ya don't want anybody to mess with you or your family. So I guess when people started calling me that I started to wear the title like a badge of honor or something…problem with that is, you act that way long enough and that's all you think you're ever gonna be."

The teen was still staring at the floor when he felt a hand on his arm squeezing it gently.

"Look at me child," the woman demanded gently and waited patiently for the teen to raise his gaze in her direction.

"That man had no right to say what he did to you and I have zero tolerance for that kind of behaviour to anyone let alone a child. You appear to be rough around the edges with a bad attitude. However this one is not blind to the fact that you have a big heart, a beautiful soul and a bright mind. I have no doubt in my mind that you will grow into a good man," Isla said.

Casey was speechless as he listened to the older woman. Listening to her talk was like how he imagined talking to his mom would be like if she was still around.

"Besides…this one is more than happy to put someone in their place when they are in the wrong by any means necessary," Isla added with an amused look on her face.

"Oh ya?" Casey replied with a smirk.

"This one is serious. She was pretty close to taking out her earrings and introducing that spoiled cow to the business end of this one's rings," Isla replied with mock seriousness holding up her hand to show Casey her large rings.

The teen burst out laughing before he replied, "remind me to never piss you off."

"Watch your language boy," the woman said in a sharp tone.

"Yes ma'am," Casey replied obediently.

The doors of the elevator suddenly opened and the group walked out and headed to the apartment at the end of the hall on the left. Once they were inside Isla directed Casey to the kitchen to put down the groceries while she carried Caspian to the living room and set him on the floor. As she did Isla noticed some movement coming from her sons' room. Silently the woman unzipped her couch cushion and reached inside before pulling out a sharp blade and tucking it up her sleeve.

"Casey! Would you mind keeping an eye on Caspian for a moment? This one needs to fetch a towel for this filthy child's bath," Isla called trying to sound pleasant.

The teen quickly walked into the room and sat on the floor with the baby. Knowing they would be safe in the living room Isla could concentrate on taking down those that dared to enter her home. As she made her way into the baby's room she noticed the window open and pulled the blade from her sleeve. Hearing footsteps behind her Isla quickly spun holding her knife out. Before she knew it the blade of her weapon was against the throat covered in green skin.

"Holy crap please don't kill me," Donny said startled by the knife.

Isla let out a breath she didn't realize she was holding before dropping the knife to her side. She watched in irritation as two other figures emerged from the shadows.

"What are you doing here?" Isla demanded.

None of them would look her in the eye and all of three of them had a guilty expression on their face. Isla quickly read their memories of the night and gasped in horror at what she saw.

"Who has taken Maya?" the woman said in a worried tone.

"It's a long story Isla. First we need to get you and Caspian somewhere safe and then we explain things properly," Leo explained gently as he rested a hand on her shoulder.

"They ain't goin' anywhere," a voice said behind them.

Raph quickly turned to see a human wearing a goalie mask and hockey pads with a hockey stick in his hands. The newcomer quickly raised his stick and smacked the red masked turtle across the head knocking him to the ground dazed. The attacker jumped over him before he started attacking Donny and Leo putting up a good fight against the turtles.

"Who invited Psycho Crosby?" Raph growled as he got to his feet and went to punch the kid.

"Look whose talkin' Shrek," the boy replied blocking the turtle's punch.

"What did you just call me?" Raph said getting angry.

Isla quickly stood between Raph and Casey putting a hand on their chests before she said, "Stop this at once. There will be no blood shed in this home, is that understood?"

The fighting instantly stopped and the turtles watched the human boy in front of them like a hawk.

"This is Casey Jones, a friend of Maya's from school. They study together," Isla explained to the three turtles.

She then turned to Casey and pulled off his mask before she explained, "These are friends of Maya's. They are the older brothers of Mi-"

"Michel? As in Michelangelo? As in the kid whose older brothers told Maya she couldn't hang out with him anymore?" Casey asked getting angrier as he spoke.

The three turtles all looked around the room avoiding the boy's gaze like the plague which was enough of an answer for Casey. Without another word the boy fiddled with something stuck on his left hockey pad which turned out to a taser.

"You guys are dead meat," he hissed before he tried to get passed Isla to attack the turtles once again.

"ENOUGH!" Isla said.

"You're not gonna let me give these guys the beating of their lives after what they did to Maya and their own brother," Casey replied angrily.

"Yes alright! We're the assholes now get the hell out of our way so we can fix this mess," Raph screamed at Casey but the boy would still not back down

"Look we know we messed up but now isn't the time," Leo said cautiously stepping towards the kid who was eyeing him with a guarded glare.

Leo quickly stepped in front of his brother and pushed him towards the door to leave the room. He looked over at Donny to take Raph to get some air before he turned to the human boy.

"Somebody took Maya and they might be coming after Isla and Caspian. Help us get them somewhere safe and then I can explain everything to you…we could use all the help we can get," the oldest turtle said gently.

"You gotta be kiddin' me," Raph hollered from the other room.

"Can it Raph," Leo demanded shortly

Leo's calm demeanor quickly calmed down Casey enough for the kid to think clearly. After a moment the teen nodded his head in agreement.

"Alright I'm in," Casey replied holding his hand out.

"Than you," Leo replied shaking the boy's hand.

The group moved quickly helping to gather everything Isla needed for herself, Caspian and even some of Maya's stuff. Once they had everything they needed they all climbed out of the bedroom window and went down the fire escape to the alley below. Donny and Raph quickly moved the cover while Leo helped Isla carry Caspian down into the sewers. Donny climbed down first as the red masked turtle looked over and noticed the human boy staring at the sewer.

"Problem?" Raph demanded shortly.

"You guys live down there?" he replied.

"Yup. Safest place we know," Raph replied walking over to stand beside the boy.

Casey yelped in surprise when the turtle shoved him down the man hole and Raph chuckled in amusement when he heard an audible thump from below. Suddenly Leo's head rose out of the sewer glaring at his younger brother.

"Play nice," the turtle said before making his way back down.

Raph rolled his eyes before he made his way down pulling the man hole cover back where it belonged on his way down. When he got to the bottom he noticed Casey rubbing the back of his head and glaring back at him.

"I see that nice hard head of yours protected your pea sized brain rather nicely," Raph teased as he walked past the human to get to the group.

Casey smirked and held out his stick in front of Raph making the turtle trip and fall on his face none to gently.

"Hey what do ya know? We match," Casey replied with a smirk before holding his out his hand to help Raph up.

"That's enough you two we need to move, "Leo said before leading the group through the sewers.

Raph and Casey walked at the back of the group side by side with thick tension surrounding them. Deciding he was bored of the silence Raph turned to the kid before he decided to speak up to kill the quietness.

"So…what's your story?" Raph asked.

"Depends what chapter you wanna start on," the kid replied not looking at the turtle.

Raph rolled his eyes before he asked, "Why do you care about Maya and Mikey so much?"

Casey looked over at the turtle before he replied, "She wasn't scared of me when we first met. Maya is my first friend since my best friend Rick cut ties with me a few years ago. She was devastated when you guys told her she wasn't allowed around Mikey."

The kid's words hit a nerve with the turtle and Raph felt his chest tighten at the mention of him losing his best friend.

"Sorry dude that sucks. I lost my best friend a couple weeks ago, still kinda hurts," Raph replied.

"It was my fault," Casey said before deciding he wanted to change the subject.

"So what's _your _deal with Maya and Mikey? She actually mess up or were you just bitter about them being happy," the teen asked.

Raph quickly opened his mouth to reply but stopped and closed it as he remembered when he first started feeling this way about the pair.

_Flashback_

_Maya came running into the lair looking around frantically. Any other night the girl would have run straight to Michelangelo's room but tonight was different. The home felt somber as she searched until she finally found the person she was looking for. Raph sat at the kitchen table resting his head on his one arm while he held out one of Spike's leafs out in front of him._

_She stood in the doorway watching him before she quietly said, "Raph."_

_"Mikey's is in his room," the turtle replied in a monotone._

_The girl took a few steps into the kitchen before she said, "Mikey told me wh-"_

_"May please!" The turtle said glaring at the girl._

_"Just leave me alone," he added before he looked away from her and rested his head back on the table._

_He listened to the sounds of footsteps and assumed that Maya had left. He felt bad for raising his voice at her but he just didn't want to be around anybody right now. His thoughts were interrupted by two slender arms wrapping themselves around him and a head resting on his shoulders as a hum filled his ears._

_The hug made him feel warm and safe. The melody felt as if it were carrying all of his stress off his shoulders. Suddenly his body began to shake as tears ran down his face that he was trying desperately to hold back._

_"It's my fault…I should have done something," the turtle said._

_"This one did not know Spike well but she knew he was a good turtle and he loved you. It radiated off of him how much he cared for you. Whoever you fought tonight was not Spike. He would never have made you choose between him and your brothers," Maya said before the red masked turtle brought his hand up and wrapped it around Maya's small arms before giving them a gentle squeeze._

_"I miss him," Raph admitted sadly._

_"The pain will lessen…eventually the happiness of your memories together will outweigh the burden of the loss. If you look back on the good times enough times it is almost as if they never left," Maya explained._

_"You sound like you know a little something about losing someone," Raph said looking over his shoulder at her._

_Maya only smiled before giving Raph a hug and letting him go. _

_"I should find Mikey…sorry for bothering you," she said before she turned and walked away._

_Raph watched as she walked out into the living room and found his baby brother. Mikey put Maya over his shoulder before the pair began spinning around until the turtle got dizzy and fell over. Maya landed on his chest and both were laughing like maniacs._

'Why do they get to be happy and we don't' _Raph thought bitterly._

_When he realized what he was thinking the turtle quickly gave his head a shake as if trying to remove the darkness from his mind._

_Flashback End_

"I was mad because I lost Spike…he changed, started calling himself Slash and made me chose between him and my brothers. When I thought Mikey might choose Maya over us I lost it. I sacrificed my friendship for him, why couldn't he do that for me?…I messed up," Raph answered consumed with guilt.

Casey observed the turtle beside him before he said, "my old man has a saying he tells me all the time. He says Casey there is nothing wrong with making mistakes, what's wrong is letting it stay a mistake without the effort of trying to make it right…Seems to me that you actually wanna make this right so I guess you lot are alright in my books."

Raph stared at the boy completely blown away by his words. Suddenly he felt like he had hope that someday both Maya and his little brother might actually forgive them for this.

"Thanks man…seriously," Raph replied before he was suddenly curious about something.

"You ever fix things with that Rick guy?" Raph asked curiously.

"Walks past me pretending like I don't exist all day long. Doesn't stop me from calling him every day and leaving him a message on his voice mail though," Casey replied trying not to sound like it bothered him that his friend wouldn't talk to him.

"Ya well screw him then," the turtle said surprising the human teen.

The strange pair returned to walking side by side in silence but this time though the tension had been replaced by comfort from being in the presence of a kindred spirit.

…

April was beside herself about what to do. Mikey had suddenly jumped off the couch pacing around the lair wondering when his brothers were gonna get back. The orange masked turtle looked terrified and anxious as if something was unbelievably wrong.

The sound of people entering the lair caught the attention of not only April and Mikey but Master Splinter as well. The three went to the entrance of the lair and were shocked by the sight of the three turtles being accompanied by Isla, Caspian and a new strange boy.

"Casey…what are you doing here?" April said shocked as she ran over to the boy and pulled off his mask.

"You uh know this guy April?" Donny asked trying to play it cool.

"I tutor him along with Maya," April answered quickly before turning her attention back to Casey much to Donny's dismay.

"I was with Isla when these guys barged in saying something happened to Maya so I came to help," Casey explained.

The human suddenly found himself being spun around and staring into big baby blue eyes.

"What do you mean something happened to Maya? Where is she?" the small turtle demanded the human boy.

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Okay that's all for now I enjoyed opening up the bromance that I love so much between Casey and Raph! Hope you all enjoyed reading as much as I loved writing and don't forget to review the lady!


	19. Chapter 19

Hello readers so sorry it's been insane! I had a batchlorette party, bridal shower plus boyfriend's AND dad's birthdays all in the same weekend . Needless to say I'm pooped. Anyway on with the chapter :)

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It was difficult for Karai to contain how pleased she was when she returned to the foot headquarters with her prize tucked away safely. As soon as they returned she commanded her foot bots to contain the mermaid while she made her way to her father's library. Karai quickly searched for her grandfather's book before skimming through it to find the chapter on mermaids. After reading through it thoroughly she became slightly disgruntled by what she found.

According to the book in order to gain the immortality of a mermaid you needed to consume the blood of the creature. However the mermaid needed to grant consent before it could be touched or else the blood would poison all who tried to use it.

_'Great, how am I supposed to gain the creature's power for father now?' _Karai thought frustrated and huffed before she continued to read.

Deciding she wasn't going to give up so easily, Karai searched the text for any weaknesses a mermaid may have. The girl was quickly becoming more and more irritated as she continued to read about what the creatures were capable of but not how to immobilize them. That was until Karai came across a passage that she found particularly interesting.

"Mermaids need at least one hour submerged in water a day," Karai read before an idea suddenly came to her.

The girl smirked before she called for her foot bots to enter the room. Within seconds two of the foot bots appeared and quickly bowed before their mistress awaiting commands. As they bowed before her, Karai turned to a screen revealing the foot bots laying the mermaid in an empty tub before handcuffing her hands to the taps. The room she was in was small and closed off with no windows and only one way out.

Without looking away said to the foot bots, "Have them only fill the bottom of the tub with water to keep it alive."

The foot bots nodded before their master added, "Don't forget to crank the heat in there. I think a warm welcome is just the thing to get what I want."

…

Both the humans and the turtles were shocked by the sudden outburst from Michelangelo. The orange masked turtle had gone from hopelessly devastated to pure murderous.

"What happened?!" Mikey screamed at Casey when the teen didn't answer him fast enough.

"Ask them. They told me they'd explain everything when we got here. I'm just the cavalry and supposed to be studying trigonometry right now," Casey replied holding is hands up in surrender.

Mikey then turned to his brothers glaring at the three of them accusingly before he hissed, "What did you do now?"

Isla quickly walked over and rested a hand on the turtle's shell before she said, "Listen to your brothers Michelangelo. If not for them we would not be able to know who took Maya."

The turtle spared Isla a glance as he calmed down before turning back to his brothers and said, "Alright I'm listening."

Leo quickly stepped forward and explained what had happened from the moment they found Maya right up until the point they had met Casey Jones. The whole time Mikey just stood in front of them listening with an unreadable expression on his face during the entire explanation. When they had told him who took Maya, Mikey looked horrified.

"This was my fault…I did this to her," Mikey said sounding devastated.

"Mikey that's impossible it's not your fault," Donny replied gently reaching out towards his brother but he pulled away.

"No!" Mikey shouted taking a few steps back away from his shocked brothers.

"Maya followed me to cure my shell acne…of course Karai would find out after what Fishface and Dogpound saw," Mikey said almost in tears.

"Bro don't we'll fix this," Raph said stepping towards his baby brother.

"No man it's not right! Who knows where they are or what they're doin' to her right now," Mikey replied feeling completely awful.

Raph had to put both hands on his baby brother's shoulders when he noticed the beginnings of a panic attack.

"Kid look at me," the red masked turtle demanded.

After Mikey reluctantly lifted his big baby blue eyes at him Raph said gently, "we have time to get her back and I promise you we will."

"What makes you so sure?" Mikey asked not entirely convinced.

"They are probably after her blood and since they need her consent to get it I doubt they would do deliberate harm without risking polluting the blood," Donny explained.

The orange masked turtle looked slightly relieved by the news and began to relax under his older brother's grip but still also looked disturbed.

"So, would someone mind explaining to us why some psychos want Maya's blood," Casey demanded clenching his stick furiously with a disturbed April standing beside him.

As Isla began answer him, Mikey suddenly began to feel strange. Dizziness clouded his mind as pain began to consume his body. Before Mikey could cry for help he blinked and suddenly was no longer in the sewer with his brothers and the humans. He wasn't exactly sure where he was but he knew he didn't like it. His vision was blurry and he felt sore as he tried to look around his new surroundings. There were no windows and it was unbearably hot, when the turtle tried to move his hands he looked up to see that they were cuffed to taps.

_'What the heck is going on?' _Mikey thought panicking in his groggy state.

A screeching noise cut through the silence of the room and Mikey looked over to a door opening. The turtle couldn't help feeling scared and confused as he watched shadows come through the door. He was quickly able to recognize the mystery figure to be none other than Karai.

"So mermaid I see you're awake," Karai said.

It suddenly dawned on Mikey that he was seeing through the eyes of Maya. One look down was enough to show him that she was using their connection to show him where she was.

_'What do you want with this one?'_ Maya asked.

"Your blood," Karai replied calmly making Mikey shiver.

"I need it to make my father the most powerful being in the entire world…however I seem to have come to a disadvantage with you," Karai explained.

_'You seek consent'_ Maya said knowingly.

"Bingo," the other girl replied with a smirk.

Maya seemed quiet for a moment before she said _'Why should this one give consent when you will surely kill this one by bleeding her dry.'_

"I'll swear to not go after any more of your kind," Karai replied quickly knowing her pod would be her weakness.

Maya only smiled at the proposition before she said _'this one's kind can handle themselves and would be disgraced if this one gave an unworthy one our precious life source.'_

Karai growled at the mermaid before walking over and smacking her across the face so hard that Maya's head smacked into the tile wall behind her. The room went into a tense silence as a furious Karai watched to see what the mermaid would do.

She was not expecting Maya to start laughing before turning to face Karai with an amused yet sympathetic expression on her face.

_'Your mother would weep for the pathetic creature her daughter has become'_ Maya said angering Karai further.

"Do not speak of my mother!" the human shouted.

_'This one is very curious…you say you wish to bleed this one dry to make your father powerful. Yet the man who you wish to make powerful is not only not your father but in fact the very same man that took your precious mother away' _Maya said with a smirk on her face.

"Shut your mouth you lying witch!" Karai demanded.

Maya chuckled before she replied _'Stupid girl. After all that reading you should know better than anyone…merfolk don't lie.'_

Mikey watched as several different emotions danced across Karai's face. She went from furious to confused, before putting on an emotionless mask.

"Either give me your blood or I kill you and hunt another freak. You have till tomorrow to decide," Karai said before she turned to walk away.

_'Don't you want to know who your father is?'_ Maya said making Karai stop in her tracks.

_'Your memories tell this one who he is' _the mermaid explained simply.

Karai turned and glared at the mermaid before she walked out of the room leaving Maya alone. Once she was alone Maya allowed herself to feel the fear she had been desperately holding back.

_'I'm gonna find you Maya just hold on' _Mikey said inside her head trying to give the girl the comfort she needed.

_'This one will try…I've bought some time but this one is scared.' _Maya admitted.

_'I know it's ok. Just try to stay strong and no matter what don't turn off the link ok' _Mikey replied.

_'Okay' _Maya said before Mikey blacked out once again.

When he woke up again Michelangelo found himself on the couch in the lair staring up into the concerned eyes of his father. Splinter gently rested a paw on his son's head as he looked him over to make sure there was nothing physically ailing his youngest.

"Karai took her to the abandoned apartment buildings on the west side…said Maya has till tomorrow to give consent or else she's gonna go all Elmer Fudd on the mermaids," Mikey said in a groggy voice.

"West side?...Like by that old mom and pop grocery store?" Casey asked.

"Ya…sounded like some Italian name, Palladino?" the orange masked turtle replied.

"What does this place mean to you?" Splinter said turning to Casey who suddenly clamped up when the rat addressed him.

"It um…it's uh…" Casey stumbled as he stared at Splinter looking terrified.

"Casey you okay?" April asked concerned.

"Ya sure," the teen replied casually making the Hamato clan raise an eyebrow at him. They had noticed the teen acting strange ever since Splinter came running in when Mikey blacked out.

Raph figured it out quick enough and started chuckling before he said, "let me get this straight...you got no problems with ninjas, mutant turtles and mermaids but you gotta an issue with a giant talking rat?"

It dawned on Master Splinter that the boy was terrified of _him _specifically. The teen looked embarrassed about the whole thing.

"Hey! We got bigger fish to fry then my ratphobia alright…no offense sir," Casey said daring to glance in Splinter's direction.

"Meh," sensei replied shrugging his shoulders slightly.

"Anyway, that was where my old apartment was. I know those buildings better than the inside of my hockey bag. I can get you in and out no problem," Casey explained.

The room went dead silent as the turtles and Splinter looked at one another speaking to each other without saying a word. Finally Splinter looked at Leonardo before the blue masked turtle nodded his head and looked over at Casey.

"Alright but we need to make a plan. Can you stick around?" Leo asked.

"Sure," the teen replied casually before April looked at him like her eyes were about to bulge out of her head.

"Uh I don't think so Casey Jones. You've got school in the morning and if you think for a second I'm gonna help you skip school you got another thing coming," April scolded. She didn't mean to sound cruel but she was scared. Not only was Maya's life in danger but now Casey was going to willingly walk into it.

"That's fine April this one will," Isla said to the girl before she looked at the other teen.

"Casey dial your father's number and hand the phone to this one," the woman demanded gently.

Casey quickly did as he was told and dialed his dad's number before handing it to Isla. The mermaid smiled at the boy before she walked a short distance away mumbling into the phone. The rest of the group watched in suspense as she spoke and then turned and walked back towards them.

She handed Casey the phone before she whispered, "he wants to talk to you, sound ill."

The teen nodded his head before he grabbed the phone and put it to his ear.

"Hey pop," Casey groaned out as best he could.

"Case, you alright boy?" a deep voice on the other line asked concerned.

"Hurts," the teen replied vaguely not sure what Isla told him.

"Ya I heard you ralphed all over that poor lady's bathroom from a stomach flu," the man replied making Casey glare over at Isla who was giving him a thumbs up.

"Uh huh," he replied annoyed.

"Look I called the school and called you in absent for a few days. I'm doing a double night shifts so Isla offered to take care of ya and I'll pick you up in a few days," Casey's dad explained.

"Who's got Angie?" Casey asked feeling the guilt about not being there to take care of his little sister.

"Angel is with Mrs. Peter's across the hall. She's gonna teach our girl how to bake," he replied in an amused tone.

"Seriously? That kid burns water…alright thanks pop and uh…sorry," Casey said feeling awful about lying to his old man.

"It's fine son. Worry about what you need to do," Casey's dad said and for a moment the teen thought maybe his dad knew what he was up to.

"Right…night dad," Casey said before he hung up the phone.

The teen sighed before turning back to the group with a smirk on his face indicating that they were in the clear. Isla put her hand on his shoulder giving the boy a grateful smile as she felt the guilt consuming him.

"Thank you," she said truly appreciative for what Casey had done to save her sister.

"No prob…now let's get to work," he replied shortly before walking over to the turtles still a little nervous about being around Splinter.

Isla watched as the boy walked off feeling the burden of guilt he carried on his young shoulders. The woman knew after this it would be impossible to repay the debt she and their people owed their friends. For now however her only focus was getting her sister back, and how much damage she could do to those who took Maya away from her and their family.

…

April tried desperately not to laugh at the grossed out faces of the three oldest Hamato brothers. Casey had just told him his plan and they did not like it one bit.

"You want us to climb up the dump shoot?" Raph asked absolutely disgusted.

"Only spot with no camera…not that it was high security to start but we can easily get to any floor though that shoot. It's the fastest way to find Maya," Casey explained.

"Done," Mikey said looking uncharacteristically serious.

"How do we know where she is in there?" Leo asked.

Uhh…" Casey said looking over to Michelangelo before he asked, "anyway you could use that link thing to get us some details?"

Mikey looked back at Casey unsure before Leo spoke up and said, "no way he blacked out last time. Who knows what else could happen if he stayed connected to long?"

The orange masked turtle glared at his oldest brother before he said sharply, "how about you let _me _decide that, okay."

Everyone but Casey looked shocked by the defensive tone coming from the youngest brother before Michelangelo looked back to the black haired human.

"I'll see what I can do," Mikey said to him before he glared at all three of his brothers and walked off leaving them behind with their friends to go to his room.

The tension was thick in the air as the three brothers stared at the ground feeling ashamed and deserving of every bit of Mikey's bitterness. April opened her mouth to say something but quickly closed it when she looked over to see Isla shaking her head at her.

It was Splinter that finally walked over to his two oldest sons and laid hands on their shoulders while gazing sympathetically at Donatello.

"He's never going to forgive us for this, will he?" Donny asked looking devastated.

April looked around seeing how defeated they all looked and wondered if this is what they were like when she wouldn't talk to them. Truth was even though she was mad at them from before she hated seeing them so hopeless.

"He already forgave you for it," she said getting the attention of the remaining turtles.

"Oh ya cause he's been so chummy with us lately," Raph replied sarcastically.

"He's mad and he has the right to be…but being mad doesn't mean he automatically stops loving you…he'll never stop loving you guys," the girl explained.

When a spark of hope flare in their eyes April sighed and added, "The annoying thing about loving people is that you _always _forgive them for their mistakes the second it happens…anger is just so good at hiding the fact that you forget sometimes…"

Leo, Raph and Donny smiled at the explanation and for the first time since they screwed up they felt hopeful.

"So…that mean _you _forgive us?" Donny asked with a smirk.

April crossed her arms and glared at the three before she turned away from them and replied, "Ya well whether I like it or not apparently you buggers wiggled your way into my soft spot."

The three brothers smiled at each other in amusement before they turtle piled the red head before pulling her into a group hug.

"Aww we love you to April," Raph teased.

"You really forgive us?" Leo asked in the same tone as his younger brother.

"Ya whatever but I will kill you all if you don't get off me now you dorks!" April yelled from the bottom of the turtle pile.

Splinter, Isla and Casey couldn't help but smile as they watched the bonding moment between the turtles and April.

"Alright that is enough. Escort Miss O'neil home and return quickly…there is much to be done," Splinter commanded.

"Yes Sensei," the three turtles said before they left.

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All done for now don't forget to review the lady!


	20. Chapter 20

Hello readers. I know it's been a while I had awful writer's block and decided to finish my other story in the meantime. Anyway here you go and enjoy :)

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The three oldest turtles escorted their friend home before quickly returning to theirs'. When they got back Mikey was lying on the couch out cold again with Casey sitting on the floor leaning his back against the sofa and Splinter walking into the room before sitting in a chair beside Mikey.

"What happened?" Leo asked running to his brother's side.

"Trying the link thing. He said to tell ya he's fine so don't burst a blood vessel," Casey explained as he sat up to stretch out his back which cracked much to his delight.

Leo glared at the human while the rest of the Hamato clan smirked at the fearlessness of the cocky teenager. Raph approached Casey and offered him a hand to help him off of the floor.

"How long has he been like this?" Raph asked.

"Michelangelo began connecting to Maya through the link shortly after you all left. Mr. Jones was kind enough to sit with him so that he would not wake up alone while I was meditating," Splinter explained.

Raph turned to the teen standing beside him surprised before he said, "thanks for that."

"Don't mention it. Besides it gave me time to play around with my gear," Casey replied nudging his head in the direction of his sports equipment that had been turned into weapons."

"Holy crap…your hockey gloves have tazers in them, you have a cricket bat with nails sticking out of it, I'm pretty sure you turned those golf balls into grenades of some kind and…is that a curling rock?" Leo asked disturbed.

"The golf balls are pepper spray bombs, the _tennis _balls are rubbing alcohol grenades…dunno what I'm gonna do with the curling stone but it's gonna be cool," Casey replied casually.

Raph couldn't help but like the way this psycho played. He crouched down to look at the kid's stuff when he noticed the pile of rollerblade wheels.

"What is this?" the red masked turtle asked.

"Making my own body skating suit, work on it here and there in shop class. Figured it might come in handy with the crime fighting thing," the teen explained.

Raph's eyes lit up like a kid in a candy store at the idea of a body skating suit, he definitely liked how this human's mind worked.

"I also combined a tennis racket and a bug zapper…I call it the bitch slapper," Casey explained proudly holding up his treasured tennis racket.

Leo and Donny looked horrified while Raph just placed a hand on the human's shoulder and said, "Casey Jones, you're one sick twisted dude and I think my new best friend."

"Leo I'm scared there's two Raphaels in our home," Donny said hiding behind his older brother.

A sharp gasp caught the attention of the group before Mikey sat straight up coughing heavily as if he were chocking on something. Splinter was at his son's side instantly placing his hands gently on the turtle's shoulders.

"My son, what has happened?" the rat demanded.

Mikey took a few minutes to catch his breath before he looked at his father completely and utterly devastated. It was clear that whatever he saw through the link was disturbing to the youngest turtle and his older brothers were more than a little reluctant to find out what he saw.

"Master Splinter they're torturing her! We gotta go now I don't think she'll make it till tomorrow," Mikey replied frantically.

Splinter quickly wrapped his arms around the orange masked turtle pulling him protectively to his chest. It broke the mutant's heart to hear his son's sobs and wanted nothing more than to go find where this Karai was and take her out himself.

Mikey pulled away from his father when he felt a hand on his shoulder and turned to see it was the human boy that came with Isla.

"Uh hey look I'm sorry I asked you to do that dude. I don't even want to imagine what it's like feeling someone else's pain. This is the only way we can find her and take out whoever hurt her so you gotta tell us anything, anything at all that might give us a clue. I promise even the smallest thing might help me narrow down which part of the building she's in," Casey explained gently.

Mikey's seemed blank for a moment trying desperately to remember anything from what he could see through Maya's eyes.

"Uhh…cats…it smelt like whoever lived there owned a lot of cats and cigarettes," Mikey said unsure.

"Oh great so all we need to do is narrow it down to chain smoking cat ladies," Donny commented sarcastically.

"Actually that does narrow it down…were the walls lime green or furry?" Casey asked.

"Is he seriously asking that with a straight face?" Leo asked.

Ignoring his oldest brother Mikey replied, "Tub was pink and there was shag carpet in the bathroom."

"Mrs. Stroker's apartment number 303," Casey declared.

"She was the ultimate crazy hoarding cat lady. She was so obsessed with cats that she had her walls and floors covered in shag so that she could feel like she was _inside _a cat. Even had this tic where if she was nervous or upset she would start stroking the walls," the human explained.

The four brothers looked at each other oddly before Mikey commented, "world isn't ready for mutant turtles but they're okay with cat ladies owning pink bathtubs and stroking furry walls."

"Do we even want to know how you know who this person is?" Donny asked hesitantly.

"She…used to be my babysitter. Helped my parents out when they couldn't afford one. As crazy as she was, Stroker was a pretty nice neighbor," Casey admitted reluctantly.

"Anyway this is pretty good news. Her apartment has one of the fire escapes connected to it," the teen added.

Raph threw his arms up in the air and said, "Praise the crazy cat lady no dump shoot."

Leo laughed evilly before he turned to his younger brother and said in a sing song voice, "Guess again."

Mikey took that opportunity to stand up which got everyone's attention, "Leo whatever you're planning think fast…I can feel her fading…if we don't do this tonight we're gonna lose her."

"Michelangelo is correct," Isla said stepping forward looking as though she had been crying in pain for hours.

"The time is now," the mermaid stated in a tone that left no room for argument.

…

"Seriously hating this plan Leo," Raph hissed as he and the others climbed through the garbage shoot of the apartment building.

Leo huffed before he replied, "Like we already told you Raph, the fire escape is connected to the window beside the bathroom. We split up so that we have a team taking out the dragons and another focusing on getting Maya."

They had decided that Casey and Donny would get Maya while Leo, Raph and Isla covered them. The three were more than happy to teach the dragons about what happens when you hurt a member of their clan.

When they reached the top of the garbage shoot, Casey took the lead and navigated the group through the endless hall ways. The teen suddenly stopped in front of a room and pulled out a baseball from his bag. Casey turned and nodded his head to the purple dragons at the end of the hall, they were literally the only thing between them and Maya on the other side of the hall.

"So…have you seen _it_," one of thugs on guard said to another leaning against the wall.

"Ya it's pretty nasty lookin'," the other one replied as he lit his smoke.

"What do you think the pretty little boss lady wants with that thing?" the first thug asked lighting a smoke of his own.

Another purple dragon who had overheard the conversation as he approached the other two thugs chimed in and said, "No idea but I bet some scientists would pay a fortune for that fugly bitch."

Silently a black mask wearing Isla pulled out her whale bone blades as she waited for the signal. Without another word Casey preformed a perfect pitch. The baseball hit one the thugs in the temple for the smoke bomb within went off sending the hallway into a cloud of smoke.

Before any of the purple dragons could react a loud piercing scream exploded in their minds that forced them to fall to the ground in agonizing pain.

"CASEY, DONNY; YOU KNOW WHAT TO DO NOW GO!" Leo screamed through the smoke.

"Come on," Casey said leading the purple masked turtle through the smoke.

Raph noticed the pair go before the hallway quickly filled with purple dragon scum and the hot headed turtle was more than happy to take them out. However he quickly learned that he wasn't the only turtle who brought his ass kicking shoes to this dance. Raph looked over to see Mikey roaring with rage as he attacked thug after thug in a blind fury. The red masked turtle was actually starting to think that his baby brother might actually be out for blood on this one.

The older turtle decided to stay close to his baby brother to both watch his back and make sure the kid didn't cross a line he couldn't handle. Raph saw Leo nearby and knew his older brother was thinking the same thing as he was but the blue masked turtle also knew that he needed to cover Isla's back if she needed help.

Isla however was in no need of help. The mermaid's nails had turned into sharp talons before she began slashing at her enemies not in the least bit concerned if they lived or bled out. The purple dragons didn't stand a chance against the graceful yet deadly dance of the vengeful mermaid.

A scream from behind Raph stole his attention and turned to see Mikey bent over and holding his head. The turtle also noticed the thug holding a pipe over his head ready to smash his baby brother's skull in. Not missing a beat Raph jumped over Mikey and kicked the would-be attacker in the head before turning to Mikey.

"What's wrong?" Raph asked.

"T-they're hurting her," Mikey hissed.

"You're still connected? I thought you were gonna turn it off for the fight, are you nuts?" Raph scolded.

"Couldn't…she's scared," the orange masked turtle explained both upset and furious at the same time.

Raph was about to say something but the sudden look of panic on Mikey's face made him like something in his gut dropped.

"Mike?" the older turtle asked.

Suddenly Mikey had tears falling down his face and an unnatural look of rage crossed the smaller turtle's features.

"The link broke," the orange masked turtle hissed.

All Raph could do was watch as something switched in his little brother and suddenly his fun loving little brother turned into an unmerciful punisher.

Mikey roared as he started swinging his nun chucks and connected them to the spine of one dragon. Using the blade at the end of his weapon, the turtle stabbed his opponent into his side for twisting it to cause his victim even more pain.

Neither Leo nor Raph could stop Mikey as he continued on his blood bath and Isla simply joined in more than happy to lend a hand in making the purple dragons suffer. All Leo and Raph could do was cover their backs and make sure no thug got in a lucky shot.

…

Donny and Casey knew they were getting closer to the apartment when the number of purple dragons seemed to get larger and larger. The pair worked together to get through the onslaught of thugs but it was difficult being the tight quarters of the abandoned apartment hallway.

"We're never going to find Maya at this rate," Donny said as he slammed his opponent into a wall by his neck.

"I know…I've got a plan," Casey said pulling out a golf ball and a golf driver.

Donny immediately knew what the human was thinking and ran behind Casey as he set up his shot. The purple dragons stared at Casey dumbfounded as the teen smiled at them with a cocky grin.

"FOUR," Casey shouted before he sent the ball flying at the purple dragons releasing the pepper spray inside.

Instantly the thugs fell to the ground writhing in pain from the unexpected attack. Casey and Donny quickly made their way down the hall jumping over the purple dragons on the floor. The purple masked turtle did his best to keep up with the human was still managing to take out any thugs in his path while keeping up his speed.

"We're here!" Casey cried as they got to the apartment.

The human pulled out another baseball before turning to Donny and nodding his head. Donny returned the gesture before he kicked the door open wide allowing Casey to throw the baseball inside to set off the smoke bomb.

Instantly the pair could hear coughing and cries of confusion before they ran inside. Using the smoke to their advantage, the pair started knocking thugs out cold. When they were sure they had gotten all of them they quickly made their way into the bathroom where they were met with a horrific sight.

In the pink bathtub hand cuffed to the taps was Maya who was not looking good at all. Her body was covered in cuts, bruises, welts and what distinctly looked like cigarette burns. She was still in her mermaid form from the neck down, she had been clearly trying to turn human but had lost her strength. The tub itself had just enough water in it to cover the bottom keeping her in her mermaid form but not enough to allow her to breathe through her gills.

The biggest thing that Casey noticed was that Maya's eyes were closed and neither her gills nor her chest were moving. The human was at her side in an instant picking the locks of the handcuffs before Maya's hands were quickly released and dropped lifelessly to her side. Casey began tapping the girl's cheek softly trying to wake her up but she wouldn't respond.

"Donny she's not breathing," Casey said turning the taps allowing water to fill the bathtub.

The purple masked turtle quickly pushed Casey out of the way before dunking Maya's whole body under the water and holding her under.

"Look I need to hold her mouth open to let the water in. Start doing compressions on her chest so that the water can get inside her body," Donny explained.

"You sure that's gonna work?" Casey asked.

"Honestly I have no idea what I'm doing but we need to try something. I can't accept that we came all the way here just to lose her," Donny replied looking scared.

Casey looking equally as scared nodded his head before he said, "okay…I've never done CPR the old fashioned way so I'm gonna need you to walk me through this."

Donny guided the human's hands and placed them over Maya's lungs before doing a few compressions with him to show Casey the rhythm and pressure he needed to do. Once Casey had the right idea Donny pried Maya's mouth open hoping that they weren't too late to save the girl's life. For a few tense minutes nothing happened and Maya's body wouldn't respond to the underwater CPR. The pair were devastated that it wasn't working and tears began streaming down their face as they continued ready to accept defeat.

Suddenly Maya's body started convulsing and bubbles started floating to the surface of the water surprising both boys. They quickly let go of Maya's body and watched in amazement as the water splashed all over the place before an arm shot out of the water.

Waking up from their state of shock Donny quickly left the room as Casey helped Maya surface form the water of the bath tub before crushing her to his chest in a relieved hug. The human never thought he'd ever feel relieved to have two cold slimy clawed hands gripping him tightly in return. Casey could feel the girl silently sobbing in his arms as he held her tight.

_'Thank you' _she said weakly.

"Anytime gidget," Casey replied trying to lighten the mood even a little.

The pair stayed like that for a few minutes before Maya pulled away slowly and looked at Casey who was finally able to take in the sight of the girl's mermaid form for the first time since he'd found her.

_'You seem awfully unsurprised to see this one look like this' _Maya said.

"After the mutant turtles and a giant mutant rat this is nothing," the boy replied with a smirk.

A scream from the hallways made both Maya and Casey look towards the hallway where Donny went. The purple masked turtle came in looking pale as he held a towel and a bed sheet.

"What happened to you?" Casey asked.

Donny calmed his breathing a bit before he shouted, "THAT RAT WAS THE SIZE OF A CAT!"

Casey chuckled before he replied, "ya try waking up to one of those climbing into your bed when you're five to chew on your arm."

The turtle looked unconvinced until Casey pulled up his sleeve to reveal a nasty scar that looked like several claw and bite marks. Then the turtle just looked plain horrified before he gave his head a shake and walked over to the tub and dunked the bed sheet and towel into the water.

"Casey can you pick up Maya for a minute," Donny instructed.

The boy nodded before picking the girl up and watched as Donny laid the bed sheet into the bathtub. He then pulled out the towel and wrapped it around Maya's neck.

"Hold that there so you don't dry out," Donny said before taking Maya from Casey's arms and laying her back in the tub.

As he wrapped the bed sheet around Maya Donny said to Casey, "Maya is going to need to be carried. Think you can take out anyone in our way?"

Casey just smirked at the turtle before he casually pulled out the bitch slapper.

…

Mikey was in his own world of grief and rage as he took out thug after thug with his nun chucks. If it weren't for the pain he was in from the loss of the connection with Maya he would be scared by how much he wanted to paint the walls of this hell hole with the blood of purple dragons. Isla was no better screaming in rage piercing the ears of all present

They had killed her, his best friend, they had taken her from him and he wanted to make them suffer for every second of the pain they put her through.

Suddenly two arms wrapped around his body, their grip so strong that he couldn't break free from them making him scream in frustration.

"Mikey stop you're gonna kill him," Leo said into his ear keeping his grip on his youngest brother.

"NO! They killed Maya they need to pay!" Mikey cried trying desperately to get away from his brother.

"Bro killing them won't fix anything," Raph said standing in front of his brothers to keep the thugs away from them.

"Take it from a hot head little brother. You could kill every purple dragon here and it still wouldn't stop the pain," Raph explained.

"Fine," Mikey hissed defeated feeling his brother let him go.

"I guess I'll just make them wish they were dead," the orange masked turtle whispered.

Before either brother could stop him Michelangelo was running at the dragons and beating them to the point of near lifelessness. Leo and Raph realized in that moment that their baby brother was truly the strongest of them all. He had the strongest potential and abilities of his brothers but did not wish to live a life of fighting like his brothers did. Mikey needed the sun, Mikey needed laughter and love.

Karai had taken their little brother's sun, his laugher, his love and now all that was left were Mikey's skills. A scream turned their attention to Isla who was vicious to her enemies, causing them as much harm as possible. They couldn't help thinking of Maya, she was an innocent girl that did nothing to hurt anyone. How would her brothers feel knowing she was hurt and nobody tried to protect her? Now it was Leo and Raph's turn to be furious, the purple dragons had snuffed out their baby brother light and they were going to make them pay.

Mikey soon found his brothers at his side taking out thug after thug with him not allowing a single one to go near the orange masked turtle. Their expressions were the same mixture of grief and anger that he imagined he was wearing. He couldn't help feeling grateful knowing that right now they weren't just protecting him from killing, they were avenging both him and Maya.

The orange masked turtle was brought from his thoughts when he saw a thug trying to jump Raph from behind with a pipe. Rage overtook the turtle once more as he swung his chucks and quickly took out his brother's attacker. These fools didn't quit! First they took his best friend and now they were trying to take his family!

A new kind of rage consumed Mikey and he went in mercilessly to take down the enemy along with his brothers.

_'Mikey…' _the sudden sound of someone saying his name in his head made Mikey stop instantly and look around. He wondered if he was going crazy or if the link had actually reconnected.

**_*ZAP*_**

**_*ZAP*_**

**_*ZAP* *ZAP* *ZAP*_**

**_*ZAP* *ZAP* *ZAP* *ZAP* *ZAP* *ZAP*_**

"Casey I think you're having a little too much fun with that thing," Donny said carrying a bundle of sheets in his arms.

"You wanted a path, I made a path. Don't argue with the methods just enjoy the results," Casey replied with a smirk.

"You guys done here?" Casey asked.

It was then that Leo, Raph and Mikey realized that they were surrounded by unconscious purple dragons and the ones that were conscious wished they weren't.

Mikey ran over to Donny with Isla hoping beyond hope that what he was feeling was real. Hesitantly he looked at the bundle in his brother's arms to see Maya looking back at him smiling weakly.

_'Hey stranger' _she said.

Mikey couldn't say anything in reply. He dropped his nun chucks as tears streamed down his face and rested his head on her head.

_'It's alright Mikey…this one is alright.' _She cooed weakly rubbing the turtle's head.

The orange masked turtle felt an arm wrap around him and looked up to see Leo holding his weapons and smiling at him comfortingly.

Isla picked up her sister from Donny's arms held her tightly as she sobbed silently. Nothing could describe how relieved the woman was that this moment was real.

"Come one. Let's go home," Leo said guiding his little brother as they were led to the fire escape that would lead them to the man hole cover.

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All done for now don't forget to review the lady!


	21. Chapter 21

Hello readers. I'm dedicating this chapter to my beautiful little spitfire of a niece. She is turning five on Monday and having her birthday party today love you Kayleigh bear xoxoxo.

* * *

Karai paced back in forth in front of the Shredder's throne. The girl was angry at herself for allowing the mermaid's words to get under her skin. She couldn't stop thinking about the very real possibility that the creature was telling the truth.

On one hand the girl could simply be lying to buy herself some time to get herself free. On the other hand however…if she was telling the truth, then that meant that Karai had pledged her loyalty to the man that killed her mother.

_'Then what? If what she says is true, what will you do?' _Karai asked herself.

Enraged that she could not make heads or tails of her thoughts, the teen screamed before she threw the side table beside Shredder's throne across the room. It landed harshly against the glass floor causing a spider web crack around where it impacted.

"This is ridiculous," Karai said out loud frustrated by her situation.

Deciding she needed to settle this once and for all Karai made up her mind that she would interrogate the sea bitch before she bled her dry.

Karai was brought out of her thoughts by the sound of her cell phone ringing. She quickly answered the cell phone before putting it against her ear.

"What do you want?" she demanded knowing it was one of Shredder's pets calling her.

"It's escaped," the voice of Rahzar answered bluntly.

Karai had to stop herself from gasping when she heard the awful news. The teen was silent for a few minutes before her anger took over once more.

"I suggest you find her or find me another sea freak before I put you down like the dog you are and serve that useless fish as sushi to the Shredder," Karai hissed in a deadly tone that left no room for argument before ending the call.

The girl paced once again even more furious then before. She wanted her answers and she wanted them now. Without warning she screamed at the top of her lungs as uncertainty consumed her like wild fire before she stormed off to the dojo to blow off some steam.

…

Splinter couldn't help the chuckle that erupted from his chest as he watched the annoyed look form on Caspian's face. It was the third time that the infant had tried to stand up before promptly falling back down on his bottom.

"Give it time little one. Your time shall come," Splinter said wrapping the boy's tiny hands around his fingers before lifting him to his feet.

It had been too long since the former human had felt the pride of teaching an infant to use their legs. It was a bittersweet feeling to assist the child in walking around the lair. On one hand it very much reminded him of teaching his own sons how to walk in this very room. On the other however…it also brought back painful memories of his beloved Miwa. He often thought of his lost daughter and the kind of woman she would grow into. The sensei would often picture a stunning young woman with her mother's beauty and intelligence mixed with his eyes and passion for the martial arts lifestyle.

It wasn't until he heard the sound of whimpering that Splinter realized that he was crying. He quickly whipped the tears from his eyes with one hand before turning his attention to the tear stained face of the merchild.

"What's this? Tears do not suit such a face with bright eyes like yours my boy," Splinter cooed as he picked up the baby into his arms.

_'Daddy lost…Miwa lost' _a tiny innocent voice said inside Splinter's head.

Splinter stared at the infant in shock. The boy had been able to read his thoughts and understand them with such intelligence. Then it dawned on the mutant that if this poor child had witnessed his memories, imagine how many times he had witnessed the memories of both his mother and aunt concerning his father.

Unable to form words Splinter hugged the baby to his chest wishing for the ability to take away the pain of loss for both of them.

The sounds of footsteps boomed through the layer before Splinter watched his sons following Isla into Donatello's lab. Splinter held the child tighter when he heard Caspian burst into tears whaling tragically.

"Have faith little one," Splinter said gently trying to comfort the boy as he followed after them.

…

The four brothers and Casey all grabbed buckets from the lab before going to fill them with water from the pool. As they did Isla gently went to work unwrapping Maya from the blankets before laying her as gently as she could into the bathtub. The older mermaid looked calm on the surface as she tended to her little sister but on the inside she was a ferocious storm of panic and rage. She wanted nothing more than to go find the girl that started this whole mess and skewer her with her bare hands for the pain she caused Maya. However she was needed here more by the girl's side healing her wounds and reassuring her that she was safe.

_'Forgive me beloved…I should have protected her better' _Isla thought as guilt ate away at her for letting Maya leave that night in the first place.

After taking a deep breath, Isla began humming an enchanting melody. As she sang the veins throughout her body began to glow a turquoise green colour.

When the boys returned with the water, they were just in time to see Isla piercing her own hand open. They watched in horror as the woman allowed herself to bleed freely into Maya's mouth.

"What the hell is she doing?" Raph asked disturbed.

"She's healing Maya's body," Mikey replied not at all fazed by the sight before him.

It felt like eternity to watch but in reality it was only a few minutes before Isla was done. When she moved away from May, Leo, Raph, Donny and Cassey were amazed to see that Maya's body looked completely flawless.

"Amazing," Donny said as he approached Isla.

The first thing he noticed was that she was slightly paler then normal and her wound on her hand had already healed into a pink spot on the palm of her hand. The purple masked turtle quickly helped Isla into a chair after jumping into Dcotor Don mode.

"What do you need?" Don asked lost about what to do for the young woman.

Isla only smiled up at the teenager before she replied, "Just a bit of rest. This one will need to leave Maya and Caspian in your hands for a short time…this one needs to warn the others above of what has happened."

"Not tonight you're not! It's too dangerous right now with everything that's happened," Leo said looking determined.

"This one needs to warn our people of what's happened this night. This one would be leaving them unprotected if that monster knows where we're hiding," Isla explained calmly.

Leo tried desperately to think of a counter argument but none came to him. Instead after a few minutes Leo came up with a plan.

"Alright but I'm coming with you. We go to the surface to warn the others and get more supplies for you and Caspian but then we come straight back," the leader insisted.

"Very well," Isla replied before standing up.

"Michelangelo, it is safe to assume you will stay with Maya?" Isla asked with a smile already knowing the answer to the questions.

The orange masked turtle nodded his head from his seat beside the bathtub. He already had his hand intertwined with Maya's with a determined look on his face.

"She's gonna be okay right?" Mikey asked in a desperate tone that his brothers were not used to hearing unless it involved pizza.

Isla nodded her head before she replied, "Give her body time to rest. She will wake up on her own when she has her strength back."

Mikey looked at Maya sadly before turning back to Isla and giving her a sad smile. The older mermaid walked over and kissed the orange masked turtle on the head before making her way out of the laboratory followed by Leonardo.

Casey watched them walk out before he turned to the remaining turtles and said, "I'm just gonna give April a call and let her know what's going on."

Splinter also took that moment to make his exit with the baby leaving Donny and Raph alone with their baby brother and Maya. Neither of the older turtles knew what to say to the younger to give him comfort as he sat solemnly keeping vigil beside his best friend.

After a few minutes Raph decided he knew what needed to be done and looked at Donny before he mumbled, "I'll be right back."

The red masked turtle quickly walked out of the laboratory and made his way over to Casey who was standing in the living room talking to April on the phone.

"No just come tomorrow night…ya she's sleeping now…test is tomorrow April go get some sleep and then come tomorrow. There's honestly nothing more we can do tonight…hey as far as anyone knows I'm at Isla's pissing out of my ass , don't worry about me…yup that Casey Jones for ya sweetheart. Natural born poet with a gift for words…ya I'll call if anything changes, I promise…ya you to night April," Casey said from his side of the conversation.

With a sigh he hung up the phone before he turned around to see Raph standing in front of him looking miserable and exhausted.

"Hey I was just gonna and ask if I could crash on the couch," Casey said when Raph didn't say anything.

"You're takin' my bed tonight Jones," Raph replied.

The human looked a little taken back by the statement before he said, "you sure? It's been a longer day for you then it has been for me, I seriously don't mind the couch."

Raph smirked before he walked over to Casey and gripped the human's shoulder before he replied, "you're takin' my bed and that's that. You came through for us tonight and in my books that deserves a little gratitude."

"You guys stayin' in the lab with team M&amp;M then?" Casey replied with a smirk of his own.

"I see Mikey regaled you with that majestic tale," Raph replied leading the human to his bedroom.

"Ya I kinda made the mistake of asking how he knew Maya while you guys were gone," the human replied.

Raph chuckled knowing damn well that unless you had hours to kill, never ask Mikey to tell you a story about anything. To this day the red masked turtle regrets asking his little brother about the cottage cheese monster.

After giving Casey the quick tour of where the bathroom was Raph led Casey to his bedroom and made sure he was all set up.

"You need anything else before I go?" Raph asked.

"Nah I'm all set thanks again," the other teen replied before yawning and plopping down on the bed looking exhausted himself.

"See ya in the morning Jones," the turtle said before he turned to close the door.

Raph couldn't help the smirk when instead of hearing a 'goodnight' from his new human friend he heard the sounds of loud snores.

Leaving Casey to have a well-deserved night's sleep, Raph made his way over to all of his brothers' rooms and grabbed their blankets and pillows. On his way back to the lab he grabbed a spare pillow and blanket off the couch to bring with him.

When he arrived back at the lab Donny was setting the other couch from the living room beside Maya's 'bed' while Mikey looked up at his immediate older brother with an odd look on his face. The purple masked turtle just smiled back at his younger brother before Raph dropped all of the blankets and pillows on top of Michelangelo, knocking the smaller turtle off his chair.

"AH! TURTLE DOWN! TURTLE DOWN!" Mikey's muffled scream cried from under the pile of blankets and pillows on the floor.

Both Raph and Donny chuckled while they grabbed the blankets off their brother who had a very unimpressed look on his face.

"Other than suffocate me, what the hell?" Mikey demanded as he got off the floor.

"Shut up," Raph said throwing a blanket at the orange masked turtle knocking him onto the couch before settling down on the end of the couch beside him.

Donny sat down on the other side of Mikey before he added, "we thought you might want some company tonight. Besides I need to stay here so I can check Maya's vitals every couple of hours."

The orange masked turtle looked at his brothers in shock. It made him feel happy that his brothers were gonna stay with him but it also made him feel a little guilty after the way he had been treating them. Mikey quickly went to work helping his brothers get comfortable with their blankets and pillows before curling up himself between the pair.

None of the brothers knew how long they sat like that before Leonardo walked into the room and smiled at his younger siblings laying on the couch.

"Looks like you're having a good old fashioned slumber party in here. When's the pillow fight?" Leo teased.

Donny promptly threw a pillow at his oldest brother which hit the blue masked turtle in the face knocking him over a bit.

"Hey what was that for?" Leo asked giving his head a shake as his brother's chuckled in amusement.

"Should have been paying attention Leo," Mikey teased.

"Ya Fearless practice what you preach," Raph added with a chuckle.

Leo said nothing to his brothers before he sat on the couch and used all of his weight to push his three younger brothers into each other on the other side of the couch.

"Take that you brats," Leo said pushing his feet onto the arm of the couch so he could use further squish his brothers.

"Can't breathe," Mikey wheezed from the middle of his brothers.

Leo chuckled as he pulled away to his side of the couch allowing Raph, Donny and Mike to share in some space on the couch. The three younger turtles glared at their older brother before the three grabbed pillows and began pummeling Leo with them.

"Alright I give," Leo finally said after he knew he couldn't defend himself from the vicious pillow attack.

The turtles quickly went back into their respective places with the two older turtles sitting with their younger brother's between them. Together they sat in silence as they watched Maya's gills slowly go in and out under the water. Subconsciously Raph pulled Mikey closer to him as the younger turtle kept his eyes glued to the girl hoping she would wake up sooner then later.

"She's gonna be okay Mikey," Raph whispered to his brother.

Mikey managed a smile before he looked at his brothers and whispered, "guys…thanks…and I'm sorry about acting like I was allergic to you guys."

"You've got nothing to apologize for Mikey. We're the ones who ought to be sorry," Donny replied knowing his brothers would agree with him.

"We're sorry Mikey…we know you wouldn't put anything above us and we wouldn't put anything above you," Leo added.

"Maya, Isla and baby Cass are family now just like April and what's his face sleeping in my bed. We protect them like we protect each other cause after tonight I have no doubt they would do the same for us," Raph said surprising the youngest.

"You mean it? You're gonna stop giving Maya a hard time just like that?" Mikey asked.

"I'm sorry about what I said. I was kinda messed up about Spike and everythin'…as soon as she wakes up I'll apologize and this won't _ever_ happen again. I promise," Raph replied looking his brother dead in the eye.

Mikey smiled back at his older brother knowing he would keep his word. When Raphael made a promise he never broke it, he prided himself on it. Without another thought Mikey wrapped his blanket covered arms around Raph's middle giving him a tight hug. Raph returned the hug wrapping his little brother with him in his blanket. Soon Donny and Leo joined the hug from Mikey's other side. The four brothers ended up falling asleep.

It was early the next morning when Splinter went searching through the lair to find his sons. He smiled warmly when he found them sleeping peacefully in a turtle pile just as they had done when they were only babies. After making sure they were comfortable on the couch, Splinter left his sons to get some rest.

* * *

All done for now readers don't forget to review the lady!


	22. Chapter 22

Hello readers I hope you all in Canada have been enjoying your long Thanksgiving weekend! Sorry for the late chapter work is nutty and my dad just had back surgery on Monday so very little time for writing. Hoping things can start to mellow out this week, anyway on with the story!

* * *

It had been a few weeks since Maya's abduction and rescue from Karai, her foot bots and the purple dragons. Since then the Hamato family did whatever it could to keep their youngest busy and in high spirits during the mermaid's recovery. So far little was working to keep Mikey distracted from doing everything he could to help get Maya better.

Eventually the brothers decided that if they couldn't beat him, join him. For all the time Mikey sat in the lab waiting for his friend to wake up he was never by himself. The three older turtles vowed that their baby brother was not to be left on his own. Usually they all took turns sitting with him, even Casey and April would drop in just to sit with the orange masked turtle and keep him company. When the four brothers went on patrol, Isla or Master Splinter were sitting with the injured girl.

Today was a little bit different however. Today all three of the brothers had slept in the lab with Mikey the night before. Leo, Raph and Donny couldn't help but notice how defeated their youngest brother looked and how exhausted Isla was between looking after Caspian, making sure the land pod was safe and watching over Maya all night. Deciding to kill two birds with one stone they told Isla to go get some sleep and stayed with Mikey to just be there for him.

Raph was dead asleep when he heard the sound of gently swishing water. Feeling the need to open his eyes he turned his emerald green eyes over to the tub to see a hand resting on it coming from the inside of where Maya was.

Instantly the red masked turtle was alert as he rushed over to the tub to peer inside and what he saw almost brought him to tears of joy. Raph smiled as his green eyes met a pair of bluish grey eyes that belonged to none other than Maya who was smiling back up at him from where she lay at the bottom of the tub.

"Hey," Raph said casually.

_'Hello´_ she replied using the same casual tone.

"Do you need help sitting up?" Raph asked when he noticed her trying to move but quickly stopping and wincing silently.

_'Yes, it appears the old saying 'it's the inside that counts' can be just as useful to describe injury as it is to describe inner beauty,' _Maya managed to joke.

Raph carefully lifted the mermaid out of the water so that she was sitting with her back leaning against the tub.

"Should I get Isla or Donny?" Raph asked concerned that the girl could be hurt worse where no one could see it.

Maya quickly shook her head before she replied _'Let them sleep, knowing them they have probably been up all night…how is Mikey?'_

The red masked turtle couldn't help the snort that escaped him in regards to Maya's priorities and the irritation it caused him.

"How's Mikey? Mikey isn't laid up because someone tried to juice him," Raph said sitting down on the floor beside the tub.

_'He was not fine when this one saw him during that battle. He was furious, terrified and violent…he wasn't Mikey…he lost his light'_ Maya explained.

Immediately Raph knew what Maya was talking about. It even scared the red masked turtle a lot to see the normally fun loving turtle out for blood in the name of vengeance. For just a moment during that fight, Raph thought he was watching himself fight.

"He'll be better once he sees you okay," Raph explained.

The hot head observed the way Maya looked over to his sleeping brother and smiled adoringly at him as he snored away on the couch cuddled between Leo and Donny. It was the same look he had seen on Mikey when Raph had caught him staring at Maya during training. He once again found himself wondering how he could've tried keeping these two apart.

"Hey Maya…look I-"

_"You need not apologize Raphael' _

"Please just let me say this," Raph pleaded.

Maya just stared at the turtle before giving him a gentle smile and nodded her head allowing Raph to continue.

"I'm sorry I'm such an asshole. You did nothing wrong and I just…what I said to you was not okay. I'm just really, really sorry," Raph said overwhelmed by a mixture of emotions.

_'Raph…'_

"Mikey didn't ask to have the world's stupidest older brothers…please don't stop being his friend because we're a bunch of jerks. You make him happier than we ever could…I wanna see Mikey smile again," the red masked turtle ranted as tears started streaming down his face.

Before Raph could say anything else Maya ignored her injuries and pulled the turtle into a warm loving embrace. Before she knew it Raph was returning the hug holding her tightly as if he was afraid she would disappear if he let go of her.

_'Losing Spike was a heavy and unexpected loss; this one understands only all too well how that can cause someone to lash out. This one wishes for nothing more than for us to move on from this and to go back to the way things were before' _Maya said gently to the turtle as he rested his face against her neck.

_'However first thing is first...' _

Raph lifted his head and had just enough time to give the smirking mermaid a suspicious look before Maya dropped one of her giant water balls onto the red masked turtle's head. The mermaid couldn't help bursting into silent laughter when she saw the look on Raph's face. He clearly looked like he wanted to be pissed off but knew he couldn't because he deserved that.

Maya didn't stop laughing for several minutes until she winced in pain before mumbling _'Ow! This one forgot about the internal injury.'_

"You okay? What's happening?" Raph said jumping into big brother mode like the flip of a switch.

Maya rubbed her chest with a pained expression on her face before she whimpered _'Alright this one admits defeat. Please wake Donny'_

Raph knew that for her to admit to being in pain, her injury might be more serious than they thought. The red masked turtle quickly got to his feet and shook Donny awake. As he did Isla suddenly came running into the lab, her eyes going straight to the bath tub where her sister lay. The older mermaid stood in shock when she saw Maya sitting up in the tub awake.

_'Hello' _Maya greeted casually as she waved with one hand and continued to rub her chest with the other hand.

Isla suddenly burst into tears before she ran to Maya's side and pulled her into a tight protective embrace. The older mermaid couldn't think of a time when she had felt such a strong sense of relief in her life until this moment. No words could seem to form from Isla's lips. Anytime the woman opened her mouth all that would come out was the sound of more sobbing.

_'It is okay sister, this one is okay' _Maya said as Isla connected their foreheads together.

_'The link broke, just like with Bo…this one was sure that we had lost you' _Isla sobbed holding Maya tighter to her chest.

_'This one is sorry Isla…please don't be sad anymore it is over now' _Maya said laying her head on Isla's shoulder completely exhausted from just the few minutes of being awake.

"Maya?"

The two mermaids pulled apart to see Donny crouching beside them with what looked like a first aid kit with him at his side.

"Raph said you were in pain. Can I check you out?" Donny asked gently.

Maya nodded her head before the purple masked turtle quickly went to work checking out the mermaid's condition. After checking the girl over Donny assessed that Maya was suffering from cracked ribs. Unfortunately Maya was too weak to transform so that she could have her ribs wrapped so all they could do was wait till she had her strength. The best Donny could do for her in the meantime was fill the water the Epsom salt to Maya's bath water to help relieve some of the pain from her body.

All of the commotion had woken not only the oldest of the four brothers but the youngest one as well. The orange masked turtle had groggily opened his eyes to see everybody crowding around the bathtub. Suddenly more alert, Mikey quietly stood up and walked over to the tub but stopped and stared in shock when he saw Maya.

It didn't take long for the mermaid to notice that she was being watched and turned to see Mikey looking at her like a cod fish with his mouth hanging open in surprise. Even though everyone in the room was watching them intensely, to team M&amp;M it was like they were the only two people in the room staring at each other.

_'This one has missed you Mikey' _she blurted not knowing what else to say.

_'I missed you to May…don't go away anymore okay?' _Mikey replied through their link.

Maya smiled and nodded her head before she said _'This one will never leave again, no matter what anybody tries to say or do to change that.'_

Without another word Mikey quickly closed the distance between them and wrapped the mermaid to his chest, wrapping his arms around her gently.

"Come on guys I think they need a few minutes," Leo said quietly before leading everyone out of the lab to give the pair some space.

As they left neither Mikey nor Maya noticed their friends and family leave. All that mattered to them at that moment was that they were together again safe in each other's arms where it was clear to see that they belonged from the very beginning.

…

April was running down to the sewers literally dragging Casey Jones along with her to get to the layer. Donny had texted the red head earlier that day to tell him that Maya had finally woken up and ever since she had been anxious for school to end.

"Hurry up Jones I want to see Maya! Knees to chest, knees to chest!" April demanded as she tugged on the black haired teen's hand.

Casey couldn't help laughing seeing April so anxious, he had never seen her this way and he couldn't help but find it hilarious.

"Yes dear," the teen replied sarcastically as they ran into an alley.

If April dared to stop a moment she would have glared daggers at the boy but alas there was no time to pummel Casey Jones for his stupidity. Her friend was okay and she couldn't be more excited by the news, the urge to see Maya suddenly intensified making April run even faster to the man hole cover.

They quickly arrived at the layer and the red head flew past the turtles shoving Donny out of her way to get to the lab. Leo, Raph and Casey couldn't help laughing at the shocked expression on the purple masked turtle's face as he laid sprawled out on the floor.

Maya and Mikey were giggling over something when the sound of heavy breathing made them turn their attention to the entrance of the lab. There they saw April leaning against the door frame catching her breath as tears filled her eyes.

"You're okay…you're really okay," April sobbed as she ran over to the tub before dropping to her knees and pulling Maya into a hug.

Maya smiled before gently wrapping her arms around her friend to hug her back. The mermaid made soothing noises to comfort her friend before turning her gaze to Mikey who couldn't help smiling at the pair.

_'I think we need a minute' _Maya told Mikey through the link.

Mikey nodded his head before he kissed Maya on the head and left her and April to talk. When he left the lab the first thing he noticed was Donny looking like a confused star fish on the ground while his brothers and Casey were laughing their butts off.

The orange masked turtle casually walked over to his older brother and stared down at him with a blank expression. Before anyone could stop him Mikey pulled out a water balloon and casually dropped it on Donny's face.

…

April and Maya pulled away from their hug when they heard Mikey screaming and running by followed by a soaking wet Donatello.

_'This one will not ask questions' _Maya said casually.

"Ya I have a pretty rough idea about what happened," April replied before turning back to her friend.

"I cannot tell you how relieved I am now that you're okay," the red head said.

_'This one is sorry she worried everyone. This one is very glad to be home with everyone now though' _Maya replied.

"I swear the next time I see Karai I'm gonna kick her ass," April said with a venomous tone.

_'Please don't there has been enough violence' _the mermaid replied gripping her friend's hand tightly and smiled at her.

April smiled back before heaving a deep sigh and said, "I'm just angry…it's been a stressful couple of weeks."

_'You've learned much about yourself' _Maya said knowingly.

"Wait you knew? You knew about my connection to the krang and you didn't say anything?" April demanded looking upset.

_'This one didn't mean to be secretive my friend but this was not my secret to tell you. Besides this one would have had nothing to tell you about yourself…I'm afraid this was something you needed to discover on your own' _Maya explained before resting a hand on her friend's cheek.

_'What this one can tell you is that the people around you still love you regardless. No matter you are still our beloved April' _Maya said.

"Thanks…it's nice to know I've got people watching my back," April replied appearing more relaxed after hearing Maya's words.

"AHH DONNY! I SAID SORRY!" Mikey screamed from somewhere outside of the lab.

_'Somehow being stuck inside a bathtub in Donny's lab suddenly feels like a vacation' _Maya commented casually at the commotion.

...

A few days later it was the weekend and Maya was up and about with Mikey. The pair were closer than ever reading comics and watching movies like they did before. Everyone outside of team M&amp;M however couldn't help but notice a few settle changes between the pair as they hung out, especially the Hamato brothers. Maya and Mikey couldn't seem to be around each other without having some kind of physical contact, whether it was holding hands or cuddling on the couch.

It was a Saturday morning when Raph was walking by and noticed the odd pair in the tire swing together with comic books. Maya was in her mermaid form laying on Mikey's chest while she used her tail in the water to give the swing momentum to go back and forth. Mikey had one hand rubbing the mermaid's back gently gliding his fingers up and down along her skin while in his other he held a comic book reading it aloud mimicking the voices of the characters.

The red masked turtle couldn't help but smile as he watched his baby brother look so happy in the company of Maya.

"Do you think they know yet?" a voice said and Raph turned to see Isla standing behind him with a bright smile on her face and a happy Caspian in her arms.

"What?" Raph asked confused.

"_Them. _Do you think they know that they are each other's one. It is clear to all that they are each other's soul mate," Isla replied smiling as she watched the pair.

Raph took a minute to really look at the pair and he was taken by surprise when as he observed that they no longer looked like innocent children at play but rather two mature lovers.

"Dunno they're pretty oblivious," Raph teased with a smirk on his face earning him a light smack from the older woman.

"Regardless Raphael, we should watch over and guide them through this chapter. They're happiness must be protected at all costs. This one will not allow anything to separate them again," Isla said with a determined look in her eye.

"Neither will we, you can count on that," Raph stated before the pair smiled at each other understanding each other on a level only protective older siblings ever could.

Caspian suddenly blew a raspberry and started giggling making Raph and Isla look down at him smiling affectionately.

The red masked turtle couldn't resist tickling the boy's belly making the baby erupt in contagious giggles before he said, "ya know I've been wondering about something for a while now."

Isla gave the turtle a look to show she was listening before Raph asked, "Maya keeps saying she has two brothers and that the oldest was your boy…So where is he?"

The older mermaid suddenly looked very crest fallen making the turtle regret asking in the first place. Raph wanted to punch himself for not thinking before he spoke.

"Do now be sorry Raphael it is a fair question…however I am not recovered enough to answer it. Forgive this one but it is a difficult story," Isla replied.

Before Raph could say anything the sound of bubbling water filled his ears. Confused he turned around to see that the water in the pool was in fact bubbling and it was growing more violent by the minute.

"What the hell?" Raph asked out loud reaching for his sais.

Splinter, Leo and Donny quickly ran over when they heard the noise coming from the water. They all quickly pulled out their weapons ready to protect their home from whatever was trying to break into it.

"Oh dear," Raph heard Isla say before a large splash shot out of the water soaking them all as it rained down on them.

They all turned away to protect themselves from the waves, when they turned back they were suddenly facing an army of angry looking mermaids with weapons all pointing back at them. They were all in shock at the sight and it only got worse when a monster of a creature rose out of the water before opening his eyes to glare daggers at the Hamato family.

Gracefully he floated towards them before swiftly aiming his triton at Splinter who had his arms held out in front of his sons that were by his side.

"You people have broken into my home and pulled weapons on myself and my family. Never has such disrespect been shown to me in my own home. What do you want?" Splinter demanded looking furious.

The massive merman leaned down to Splinter's eye level with a deadly gaze in his eyes before he said in a booming voice that seemed to consume Splinter's mind _'Where is this one's daughter?'_

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Oh snap! Till next time readers don't forget to review the lady! Happy Thanksgiving everyone :)


	23. Chapter 23

Hello readers hope you are all doing well. Thanks for all the follows, favs and reviews for this story. They aren't what fuel my inspiration to write so keep it up :) Anyway on with the story.

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The Hamato family were all in shock. One minute they were all relaxing thinking everything was going back to normal and in the next they were being ambushed by mermaids of all things.

_'Where is this one's DAUGHTER!' _the giant merman demanded slamming his triton into the water sending giant waves flying in all directions.

A strange noise came from where Maya and Mikey were sounding similar to the happy noise a dolphin made. The enormous man suddenly turned towards the young teenagers. The turtles watched in amazement as the man's expression went from deadly to warm instantaneously. He watched with fondness as the girl dived off the swing and swam towards him. Quick as lightening the girl was suddenly jumping out of the water and into the massive merman's beefy arms that seemed to swallow her whole.

Maya continued to make the happy dolphin sound as the man rested his forehead on hers and holding the tiny girl tight in his arms. A slender but muscular woman approached them before pulling Maya into her arms holding her tightly to her chest and rested her head on the smaller mermaid's. She was followed by a muscular merman that was quite small compared to the other man. He too took a moment to hold the girl but unlike the older merman and mermaid this younger merman gave the Hamato clan the world's deadliest glare.

Despite the death glare and the fact that none of the Hamato clan could hear what any of the mermaids were saying to each other, it was clear that they were witnessing a precious moment for the family. Soon they began to relax until Maya pointed in Mikey's direction and the mermaid family quickly surrounded him.

Master Splinter was the first to become tense as he reached for his staff, ready to go to his son if these people tried to attack him. The former human watched intently as the massive creature stared at his nervous child ready for anything.

That was until the massive merman suddenly picked up Mikey by his shoulders filling all of their heads with roars of laughter. He then pulled Mikey into an intense bear hug and judging by the look on the orange masked turtle's purple face it was a pretty tight squeeze.

_'Finally this pod meets Maya's one. We are indebted to you scrawny turtle creature.' _The man's voice boomed for all to hear. Although the tone was warm and friendly it was so ferocious that it made everyone's teeth vibrate.

"Umm excuse me…I am pleased that you are no longer seeing us as enemies. However that said please release my son; he requires oxygen to live," Splinter said as he gently approached the merfamily. The giant man quickly released Mikey before patting him on the back which knocked the poor turtle over.

_'This one owes you an apology land critter. This pod came here prepared for battle after we felt Maya's distress through the link. When her link broke with us so did our sense of reason' _the man explained as he bowed his head followed by the rest of the merfolk that had come with the massive man.

"No harm done. As a father I sympathize with your position," Splinter said returning the bow along with Leo and Donny.

_'This one is Neptune ruler of this pod named after the first ruler of our kind. This one's queen, Aquarius and our second son Dylan.' _The man explained.

"I am Splinter. My sons Leonardo and Donatello. My son standing with Isla is Raphael and I believe you have already met my youngest Michelangelo," Splinter introduced.

"Welcome to our home," he added bowing his head once more.

_'Our pod is indebted to you and your own. It is you we are to thank for the return of our beloved daughter," Aquarius said with a kind smile._

Leo dropped his head before sparring a glance to his two younger brothers. Without having to be told Raphael joined Leo and Donny before all three were kneeling before the mermaids with their heads to the floor.

"You are in no debt to us, it was our fault Maya's life was in danger in the first place. If you could spare this clan your forgiveness it would _us _that is in your debt," Leo said.

The family stared at the three brothers before them with an unreadable expression. It felt like hours before Neptune finally turned to his daughter with a raised eyebrow.

_'Dramatic sort, these land critters' _he said with an amused tone making Maya and the other merfolk giggle silently.

_'Dramatics aside you've moved this one with your humility and your honesty. We shall dwell on this no further. Now is the time to come together to celebrate both a life taken and a life given' _Neptune explained raising his trident causing the other mermaids to hum in agreement.

All of them except for Dylan whose glare had lessoned since he arrived. He seemed to glare less towards Mikey and Splinter but when he looked at the three older Hamato brothers, it was as if he was trying to burn holes through their eye sockets.

"Perhaps you would all be more comfortable as humans so that you may all fit in our home," Splinter offered.

_'We the head family will join you. The rest of the pod are to return to free waters to rest until this one calls for them. Prepare for the celebrations ahead of us' _the massive merman instructed.

Without hesitation the massive pod of merfolk all sunk below the water at the same time without causing a single noise or even a ripple of the water. The remaining mermaids all glided towards the shore before gracefully climbing onto the ground and curling their tails to dry. Maya however simply changed her tail into a pair of human legs before sitting down beside her family while Mikey quickly walked over before kneeling beside his brothers.

Isla quickly put her son down and allowed him to crawl as he began screaming with excitement over to the mermaids. Neptune quickly scooped up the small boy and his booming laugh consumed their minds once more. Admittedly the big scary mermaid looked pretty adorable cradling Caspian in his arms and blowing raspberries on his tiny tummy causing massive giggles.

_'Sweet boy, son of our son look how you've grown' _Aquarius cooed taking the child from Neptune's arms and hugging him adoringly.

Leo noticed that Maya's miserable looking brother had a ghost of a smile when he saw the little boy in his mother's arms. Isla quickly made her way over as well and hugged the family with great affection and a huge smile on her face.

_'How do you fare child?' _the queen asked looking extremely worried making the turtles stare at the younger of the two mermaids suspiciously.

_'The child and Maya keep this one distracted as well as this one's work. Our new friends have also given us a gracious amount of support' _Isla said with a sad smile on her face that the Hamato family was all too familiar with.

_'Another reason this pod is grateful to you and your family Splinter' _Neptune said towards the mutant rat who smiled at the comment.

Before Splinter could respond the mermaids were suddenly transformed from drying and without shame got off the ground and stood proudly in their naked forms. Leo, Raph and Donny were completely embarrassed by having the mermaids' private parts to close to their faces for comfort while Mikey acted as if this was the most normal thing in the universe.

"My sons why don't you fetch our guests some robes," Splinter said to his sons.

The turtles wasted no time getting up and dashing out of the room leaving Splinter, Isla and Maya giggling while the new mermaids simply looked confused. Once the boys came back and everyone was clothed, the group settled down into the living room to talk. The mermaids sat on the couches while the turtles pulled up some chairs.

"Please make yourselves comfortable. I apologize for the mess my sons are slobs," Splinter commented before glaring at the four turtles who were looking everywhere but at their father.

"It is a lovely home and our pod feels most welcome in it," Aquarius replied smiling warmly before turning to her mate.

"Beloved, perhaps Maya's new companions would join us for celebrations," the woman said.

Neptune seemed pleased with the idea and replied, "Agreed beloved. Our pods are one and so we shall treat them as such."

"Umm….Papa…" Maya mumbled nervously making the turtles and Dylan give the girl an odd look.

"Thank you, we would be honored to be included. What is it that we are to be celebrating?" Splinter asked.

Neptune gave Splinter a strange look before turning to his daughter and said, "Child…you did not tell them of why you and Isla came to the surface?"

"Mikey knows but even then this one had to show him...this one still has difficulties when it comes to speaking so freely about what happened," Maya explained looking suddenly very sad.

Leo, Raph and Donny quickly found themselves staring at their youngest brother with an unreadable expression on their faces. Mikey reluctantly looked back at them before shaking his head to tell them to drop it.

"Father perhaps this is not a good time," Dylan said speaking up for the first time since they arrived to come to his sister's rescue.

"No. What our son did is not something to be kept secret or forgotten…this one is proud and so should you," Neptune said in a cross tone directed at Maya.

Maya's eyes went from sad to cold in matter of seconds as she looked at her father before she replied, "this one _is _proud. Do not think for a second that this one is not…but..."

"But what child?" Aquarius asked her child with concerned eyes.

It was Isla that came to Maya's rescue in that moment when she spoke up and said, "The pain is to fresh for the child so this one took the burden from her shoulders to tell our story. The fault lays with this one for the tale not being shared."

"I don't understand, what's wrong?" Leo asked worried.

"This time of year for our pod is the first that we've celebrated the time of life lost and life given. The life given was that of Caspian…the life lost was my mate Bo," Isla explained.

Splinter and the turtles looked shocked while Mikey just looked sad. Isla squeezed Maya's hand before she explained, "This story is easier to show then to tell…close your eyes and this one will show you."

The Hamato clan did as they were told. When they did they were shocked to see that closing their eyes in the layer was like opening their eyes underwater surrounded by merfolk. It was like watching everything through the eyes of a younger Isla.

_The young teenage mermaid approached the massive chief of their pod and his queen. On Neptune's left hand side stood their son, the eldest of their children, the future leader of the pod and the man she would give the rest of her life to…Bo her beloved. _

_They had only met once during a hunt but that was all it took to know that they were destined for each other. After their fathers discussed their fates it was decided that they would mate and Isla would bear the future chief of their pod._

_Seventeen year old Bo smiled shyly at Isla who at the time was the same age as he was. Isla smiled back feeling quite shy herself being stared at so intensely by her beloved. It was decided that the pair would live together for one year supervised before they would officially mate. _

_Isla had the pleasure of learning about her beloved by being by his side as often as she was allowed. By his side she learned about what kind of ruler he hoped to become and all of the great plans he for their pod to keep them safe and at peace. She met her new little brother and sister who were only fourteen and thirteen years old, she adored them as much as they adored her. _

_Dylan was strong and loyal, Bo had called him the pod's guardian. Dylan was to be Bo's second in command and his general to lead their warriors. Maya was mischievous and very intelligent with a natural talent for the hunt. Her fate was to become head huntress for the pod._

_ The turtles smiled as they saw a much younger Maya laughing as she swam as fast as she could from her furious older brother who was covered in star fish and barnacles. Bo shook his head with an annoyed expression on his face as he watched the pair while Isla covered her mouth to hide her own laughter._

_The Hamato family blinked and suddenly they were staring at the young couple a year later. Bo smiled lovingly at his mate as he rubbed her swollen stomach. As Splinter watched he couldn't help feeling as if he watching himself as a young man with the love of his life excitedly awaiting the birth of their child. As the young merman leaned in and kissed his beloved, something slammed into his side almost knocking him over._

_Bo instantly knew who it was and became annoyed to see it was Maya giggling and hiding behind her brother. The girl had matured in a year looking less like a little girl and looking more like the lovely young woman they knew she would become…sort of._

_'What did you do?' Bo asked annoyed._

_'This one swears on her tail she has done nothing…' Maya trailed off when she saw the look on her oldest brother's face._

_'That is to say nothing dangerous…this time' the girl said before giving her brother a dashing smile that she knew he couldn't resist._

_'Maya…'_

_'This one was just practicing magic as you instructed.' Maya insisted._

_'Oh no' Isla mumbled preparing herself for the worst._

_'Again little sister, what did you do?' Bo demanded gently._

_Maya held her breath for a moment before she quickly replied 'This one may have tampered with Dylan's scent so that he smelt like a dolphin in heat…and she may not have told him why a group of horny dolphins have been following him around all day until just now.'_

_Bo shook his head and sighed as he heard his mate laughing behind them before he replied 'you are so lucky you're cute little sister.'_

_'BO, THE BRAT BELONGS TO THIS ONE!' Dylan said swimming towards them followed by a group of dolphins._

_The eldest of the siblings waved his hand in front of his younger brother changing his natural scent back to normal. Bo watched the group of now disappointed dolphins swam off before he turned his attention back to a furious Dylan._

_'The fault is this one's little brother forgive him. He told Maya to practice her magic...this one should have specified how," Bo said glaring at Maya over his shoulder._

_'Brother she needs to pay for that' Dylan demanded._

_'This one will speak to her. Now leave her be and go get ready for patrol. This one will meet you here and we shall go' Bo instructed in a 'don't argue with me' tone that reminded the younger turtles of Leo in leader mode._

_'You spoil her' the younger brother said glaring at his baby sister before doing as his brother told him to do._

_Bo watched Dylan leave before turning to his sister with a very unimpressed expression on his face before he scolded 'Child you exhaust this one's patience. The pod understand that you are playful by nature but soon you must learn that running this pod is not all fun and games. Our job is a serious and important responsibility. Do you understand that?'_

_Maya's smile quickly disappeared and was quickly replaced by embarrassment. The girl said nothing to defend herself from her scolding. It was no secret that the youngest of the family adored her oldest brother and never liked him being mad at her for anything._

_'Sorry brother' Maya mumbled._

_Not liking the defeated look on his younger sister's face Bo ruffled the girl's hair knowing it annoyed her and gave her a dashing smile of his own._

_'You just need to practice balance little sister. You have an important responsibility to your people but this one would never ask that you lose your light in the process. Never stop being this one's little trouble maker Maya, this pod may need that skill for battle someday' Bo said trying to leave his youngest sibling on a good note._

_'This one will try' Maya replied as a ghost of a smile appeared. _

_Shortly Dylan returned and the pair left to patrol the area where their pod was currently staying for any predators that may wish to harm them._

_…_

_It was a few hours later that the pod heard warning screams coming towards them. Maya, Isla and Aquarius were a few of the first to investigate the commotion. Looking off into the direction where they saw the brothers leave they saw someone swimming towards them as fast as they could swim. _

_'That's Dylan…something is wrong where's Bo?' Aquarius cried in fear as she saw the terrified expression on her youngest son._

_Maya and Isla wasted no time to swim towards their brother. Maya had swam further ahead of Isla and it wasn't until she was close to him that Dylan even registered that his little sister was swimming towards him._

_'SHARK ATTACK! SWIM AWAY NOW!' Dylan screamed to his pod._

_The pod wasted no time gathering the young and elders before swimming off as fast as they could much to the young merman's relief. However when he saw Maya still and staring behind him in fear as Isla tried to swim towards her. Dylan went to his sister as fast as his tail would allow him. Without stopping the older sibling grabbed Maya from around her waist and kept swimming in the direction of the pod. Isla allowed the siblings to go ahead and swam behind them to protect them from the sharks if need be._

_'Behind you!' Maya shouted as she saw one of the sharks coming towards them._

_The merman spared only a second to look over his shoulder before he tightened his hold on his youngest sibling and desperately tried to swim faster with Isla following close behind him. The massive beast was getting so close, both Isla and Dylan could feel the shark's hot breath on their fins. The merfolk thought for sure that this was the end for them and the siblings hugged each other tightly while Isla did the same to her stomach before a loud scream full of rage boomed through the waters filling them with relief. Bo came out of nowhere and slammed into the side of the shark. The oldest of the three siblings stared menacingly at the beast and growled at it threatening it to stay away from his pod._

_'What are you doing here? Go take them to the pod' Bo demanded not taking his eyes off the shark to look at his mate._

_'You expect this one to abandon you beloved?' Isla replied looking devastated._

_'For the sake of both you and the child, yes!' Bo replied sounding scared as he watched the shark recover._

_'Please hurry and get them to safety, there isn't much time' the merman begged his mate._

_Realizing what his brother was going to do, Dylan stared at his brother in disbelief before he replied 'No brother you cannot do this…please come with us!' _

_Bo glared at his younger brother before he screamed 'How dare you disobey me! Leave this place and protect our pod, this one commands it!' _

_'Dylan no you cannot let him do this!' Maya cried in her brother's arms._

_Reluctantly Dylan turned and fled with Maya screaming in his grasp, swimming as fast as he could away from the battle._

_Isla watched the siblings go before turning to her mate and swimming towards him. Without a second thought she caressed his face as she leaned in for what she knew was their last kiss. Bo quickly returned it kissing his mate passionately before releasing her and staring at her with sad eyes._

_'Go beloved and live. This one knows what he is asking is a heavy burden but promise me you will live and find happiness while raising our child' Bo begged pushing his mate away as if he were ripping out his own heart._

_'You will always have this one's heart beloved' Isla said trying to stay strong for her mate._

_'And you will have this one's' Bo replied trying just as hard._

_Isla quickly turned and started swimming as fast she could towards the pod trying desperately to ignore the feeling of her heart shattering. Bo watched his mate and siblings leave before he took a deep breath to prepare himself for what he was about to do. The merman then turned and punched the shark in the nose before swimming of the direction away from his younger siblings. _

_He swam as fast as he could until he knew he was far enough away that the pod could out swim the sharks even with the precious cargo of children and elders. He looked over and saw Isla leading Dylan and Maya towards the pod and smiled as he let out a sigh of relief that his family was safe. He then looked down to see that the sharks had lost interest in him and returned to sniffing out the pod to consume them._

_There was no turning back now, Bo knew what he would have to do to protect his people. With a mighty scream he got the attention of the sharks once more. When he knew he had their attention, he used his own blade to make a long cut along his chest allowing his blood to float through the water. The sharks quickly came towards him as the smell of the merman's blood made them salivate with hunger._

_Bo looked down to see the teeth of the shark coming towards him. Deciding that was not the last thing he wanted to see before he died, he looked towards the pod. He saw the devastated faces of his parents along with his siblings and mate. He gave them a warm smile before he closed his eyes and waited for his end to come._

_Isla screamed in pain as she felt the link break with her mate. She was quickly scooped up by Neptune who held her close along with Aquarius who was crying right alongside her. Looking over to Dylan and Maya, she could see the devastated look on Dylan's face as he tightly held onto his now only living sibling. The young mermaid was not struggling in her brother's arms nor was she screaming in pain as her family was. Instead she went limp in her brother's arms and Isla feared the worst for the girl when she no longer saw light and laughter in the Maya's eyes as she lay her head on Dylan's shoulder, instead she saw only emptiness and darkness._

Splinter and the turtles opened their eyes shocked and disturbed before turning to the family whose faces were heavy with sadness.

"It was after Caspian's birth that this one felt the need to get away, start over somewhere new and have a fresh start. When Maya did not recover from the loss this one knew that she needed to take the child with her," Isla explained with difficulty as tears ran down her face.

Feeling the sudden need for air Maya quickly got up and left followed by the orange masked turtle who did not want to leave his friend to deal with her emotions on her own.

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All done for now, don't forget to review the lady and take care!


	24. Chapter 24

Hello readers I'm back again with another thrilling chapter. Please be warned there is some angsty mermaids and turtles in this chapter. Apparently I was in a mood when I wrote this lol. Anyway enjoy :)

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Everyone sat in shock as they listened to the footsteps of the two younger teens until they were out of ear shot. Even after the footsteps could no longer be heard nobody even dared to breathe loudly until Dylan finally stood up before turning to his father.

"This one should go after her," he said solemnly.

"No, leave her be. Maya's one is with her let him do what he does best to help heal the girl," Neptune replied to his child.

Dylan clenched his fists as he looked in the direction that his little sister had taken off in. It was clear he was divided between listening to his father and listening to his brotherly instincts. Leo sympathized with the merman seeing the same nervous habits in both himself and Raph when it came to trying to let their little brothers solve their own problems.

The oldest turtle quickly got off the floor and approached the young merman before he said, "you must be starving after your trip. Why don't you come to the surface with us to grab some food and we'll show around the surface a little bit."

Dylan glared at Leonardo silently expressing his dislike for him and his brothers. Isla, who watched the interaction with great concern, approached Dylan and laid a comforting hand on his shoulder.

"That sounds like a fine idea. This one believes you to could use some air little brother," Isla said squeezing the merman's shoulder gently.

The teen turned to Isla before he said through their link _'This one want nothing to do with them. They hurt her Isla, it's their fault she was taken in the first place.'_

_'There is much you do not know. Please just speak to them and you will see that they have come a long way since then' _Isla replied.

Dylan huffed in annoyance before he said out oud, "this one wouldn't dream of giving them the honor of any of our pod's company."

"Child mind yourself," Aquarius scolded her son.

"Well don't do us any favors or nothin'," Raph said smugly getting Dylan's attention.

The red masked turtle had no problems being courteous to people but when they started getting all high and mighty with him he had a problem. Especially when high and mighty smug fish boy did it in his own home.

"This one will do no favors. Especially to _you_," Dylan replied with a sneer towards Raph.

"Guys come on let's be civil," Leo said in a calm voice trying to be peacekeeper between his brother and their guests.

"You got a problem with me flipper?" Raph replied ignoring Leo.

"Mikey is the only turtle here this one doesn't have a problem with. However of the three of you this one dislikes you the most," Dylan replied his voice dripping with venom.

Raph was quickly losing his temper as he said, "I don't even know you how could you possibly hate someone you just met."

The merman growled before he replied, "We saw everything through our link with Maya, _everything. _After what you said to her….after all that unnecessary pain you caused this one's sister and you didn't even have the decency to fight harder to get her back the night she was taken. At least your brothers fought, at least they were by her side trying to get her back but WHERE WERE YOU!"

The room was sent into a dead silence as Dylan's words echoed through the layer. Raph stared at the ground, he honestly couldn't even think of a way to respond because in his mind it was true. Sure he took out the sniper but he let someone sneak up behind him. He let someone over power him before he could save Maya. It was something that would eat at him with guilt for as long as he lived.

"Dylan! That is enough," Neptune boomed throughout the layer.

The young merman turned angry silver eyes to his father and then to Raph before storming away from the group towards the pool. He was ready to go back and join the rest of the pod but was stopped by a green hand on his shoulder. Dylan turned around surprised to see that it was Leonardo who had come after him.

"Can we talk?" Leo asked gently.

"This one has nothing more to say," the boy replied.

"Alright then we don't have to talk. Just give me five minutes of your time that's all I ask," Leo replied calmly.

Dylan stared at Leonardo suspiciously. He had just insulted this land creature's blood brother and yet he still he spoke to him in a calm voice as if nothing had happened. The merman quickly looked inside the mind of the blue masked turtle enough to see that he meant no ill will towards him. His instincts told him that this creature came in peace…he would trust him for now.

"Lead on then," Dylan replied.

The pair made their way through the layer in silence as the muffled voices of the others talking could be heard from the living room. Dylan stared at Leo curiously as he followed the turtle deeper into the sewer home. The teen was shocked when they entered a large room with a strange plant was growing out of the floor.

"What kind of coral is this?" Dylan asked curiously feeling the rough bark.

"It's called a tree…you guys never been on land before?" the turtle asked almost amused that he had to explain what a tree is.

"No need until now…this is amazing," Dylan replied walking around the tree in awe of it.

Leo couldn't help the chuckle that escaped his lips before he said, "well I was going to bring you here for a spar, but if it's tree climbing you're after then I'm game."

"What is a spar," the merman asked turning away from the tree.

"It's basically practicing your skills for battle. I understand you usually don't spar one another but here it is how we train and can be pretty therapeutic to release some tension," Leo explained.

Dylan huffed at Leo with a smug grin before he replied, "Our pod does not battle one another. You are neither my blood brother nor my pod brother so let us spar."

"Hand to hand combat alright with you?" the turtle asked.

"This one accepts. How do we begin this spar," Dylan demanded.

Leo explained standing before one's opponent and bowing to show respect to them before he said, "begin."

The pair were soon sending punches and kicks at each other, attacking their opponent with everything they had at their opponent. As Leo was dodging one of Dylan's right hooks he thought now was a good time to at least try to talk to the merman.

"So…I'm sorry about your brother…It was noble of him to do what he did," Leo said bluntly not knowing how else to start.

Dylan only growled before managing to get a punch in sending Leo flying across the room. The merman quickly approached his opponent before he picked up Leo by his shoulder and slammed him into the wall.

"You know nothing of Bo. This one is furious at him for what he did not only to our pod but to me. That was not his sacrifice to make," the teen hissed.

Leo was not expecting that kind of response and was a little pissed off by it to say the least. The turtle surprised his opponent by kicking him in the stomach sending him flying across the other side of the room. Dylan quickly recovered before running at Leo to punch him in the face. The merman was a bit surprised when his fist was caught by the turtle before Leo tripped Dylan. The teen looked up to the blue masked turtle glaring down at him.

"Could you honestly look your brother in the eye and say those words to him? From what I saw he did the same thing any good leader and brother would do," Leo hissed back.

"What do you know?" Dylan growled rolling away from Leo before standing a distance away from him.

"I may not have known Bo as you did but I think I could understand him a little bit as both a leader and an elder brother," Leo said calmly only infuriating the merman even more.

Dylan screamed in rage before running at Leo, putting all of his power behind every punch he threw. The teen knew only anger and regret in that moment as he attacked Leo which gave the turtle the advantage. Leo wasted no time grabbing Dylan by the arm and twisting it behind his back before slamming him into the ground.

As Leo watched the younger boy struggle underneath his grip, he could see the tears of rage in the merman's eyes.

"You don't understand…this one was Bo's general…this one was supposed to be Bo's protector. That was this one's sacrifice to make for him not his for this one's! This one told him to swim ahead to warn the pod but he knew what this one intended to do…it's this one's fault Bo is dead it...it should have been this one!" the teen cried.

It suddenly all made so much more sense to Leo where this kid's rage was coming from. More than ever this boy reminded him so much of Raphael.

"You're just like Raph you know that. Always have to be the one to protect the family, so quick to sacrifice your life for everybody. You're both so thick headed that it's annoying," Leo hissed.

"How dare you," Dylan said as he continued to struggle.

Leo tightened his hold on the merman before he said calmly, "do you honestly think that your big brother; the guy who likely guarded you like a hawk from the moment you came in this world, the person who guided and cared for you, would want you to die for him? Let me tell you something and listen well, no older brother in their right mind would _ever _let their younger sibling lose their life for them. I never met Bo but I bet my shell on it that if he were here now we'd both agree that we would never allow our siblings to make that sort of sacrifice as long as we drew breath and I sure as hell would bet he never would dream of blaming you for his death."

At that moment Dylan had stopped struggling under the turtle's grip and laid limp on the floor as more tears ran down his face.

"This one was ready to die for him and Maya to keep them safe," the merman mumbled feeling defeated.

Leo sighed before releasing his grip on the other teen and helped him to sit up before he replied gently, "and he was ready to make sure that never happened. Besides could you honestly say that you'd be willing to carry the guilt of causing Maya's the greatest amount of pain she's ever endured into the afterlife."

Dylan stared at the floor, his breath hitching at the thought of him being the reason that Maya became that lifeless creature before she met Michelangelo.

"This one supposes not," Dylan replied before turning to face Leo.

"This one will never be able to become the leader that he was," the merman added rubbing his tired eyes.

Leo placed a comforting hand on the teen's shoulder and smiled at him before he said, "then be a different leader."

Dylan stared at Leo in surprise as he recalled the last conversation he had with his brother before his sacrifice.

_'Mark this one's words Bo you are going to ruin that girl if you let her get away with those stupid pranks' Dylan said looking annoyed at his older brother._

_'Do not worry so much about Maya, she has the mind of a child still give her time to grow' Bo replied with a chuckle._

_'Something funny brother?' the younger merman growled._

_'Sorry this one was just wondering what it must have been like for you to finally have people find you attractive' Bo chuckled only angering his brother further._

_Furious with his siblings Dylan flew ahead of his brother to search the waters in peace. That was until he saw them and they saw him._

_'Dylan I'm sorry. This one didn't mean to tease your unattractive face…Dylan?' Bo suddenly became serious as he approached his younger brother when he saw the look of fear on his face._

_Bo quietly swam up to his brother and tugged on his arm to silently tell him to start swimming backwards. However by then it was too late and both brothers were swimming for their lives back towards the pod. _

_They hadn't been swimming long when the younger brother came up with a plan. He didn't like it but if it bought Bo time to save the pod then he could be brave and do what needed to be done._

_'Bo' Dylan said in a terrified voice immediately getting his brother's attention._

_'Swim ahead, warn the pod. This one will distract the sharks and lead them away' Dylan explained._

_The older merman instantly shook his head making the younger brother angry at Bo's stubbornness._

_'Brother it's the only way, these things will just keep catching up and follow right back to everyone' Dylan said desperate for his brother to see reason._

_Bo seemed to think for a moment before he turned to Dylan looking determined and said 'If this is what must be done then it should be you to swim ahead little brother.' _

_'No! This one won't allow it, you'll be killed!' Dylan replied._

_'Then so be it! This one is the future leader of this pod and you will obey your chief's orders!' Bo commanded leaving no room for argument._

_Dylan stopped swimming and stared at his brother feeling divided about what he should do. Bo knew there was little time for the younger merman to decide so he decided for him. The older brother pulled the younger into his chest before wrapping his arms around him protectively._

_'You must become leader in this one's place if this one does not return, do you understand?' Bo said sternly._

_'This one is not you brother, he is not fit to be the leader that you are' Dylan replied in a terrified voice._

_Bo hugged his brother tighter before he whispered 'of course you will not be the leader this one was born to be because you are not me. Instead be the leader that you think you should be, this one is certain you will not fail.'_

_With that Bo pushed Dylan away as hard as he could and gave his scared brother one last confident grin before he yelled 'now go brother, they are your people now go protect them.'_

It was a conversation Dylan would never forget for as long as he lived.

"You're right turtle…he would not have wanted this one to be fueled by rage and guilt," Dylan said after a few minutes of the pair sitting in silence.

"Of course I'm right I'm the oldest," Leo replied in an amused tone making the merman chuckle.

"By the seven seas you are just like him. So much so that it is annoying…this one could never talk like this though. There were so many things left unsaid," Dylan explained.

"I can never seem to talk to Raph like this either…you should give him some slack. Believe it or not but he was the one that tried the hardest to get Maya back," Leo explained.

"You both have this magical ability to use people's insecurities against them when you're angry or upset. When Raph realized what he did…well he's still beating himself up about it and nobody can beat up Raph like Raph can," the blue masked turtle said.

Dylan suddenly realized he had done to someone what they had done to his baby sister. He didn't like the tight feeling that out of nowhere began constricting in his chest.

"This one will apologize…and try to understand better," Dylan replied.

"Thank you," Leo said before standing and reaching out a hand to help Dylan off the ground.

The merman wiped at his eyes in annoyance before he growled, "What is wrong with this human form? Why is it leaking?"

The blue masked turtle couldn't help bursting out laughing before he said, "those are tears. Creatures sometimes do that when they're in pain. It means you're finally allowing yourself to grieve for your brother, Maya and yourself. Once you're done you'll start to feel better I promise."

Leo led them back into the living room where both families were still residing. Not that he'd ever admit it; Dylan had to admit that once again the turtle was right, he did start to feel better.

As they entered the room Neptune and Aquarius were quick to give their son a warning glare. There was an awkward silence as Dylan and Leo sat down on the couches beside their respective parents.

"Are you through with your temper tantrum boy?" Neptune asked.

"Yes. Apologies for embarrassing you mother and father…Apologies to you as well Splinter for this one's behaviour in your home," Dylan said quickly bowing to Splinter.

Splinter returned the nod before he replied, "I sensed a disturbance in you when you first entered this place, like a tsunami of negative emotions swirling within. The storm seems to have subsided since you have talked with my son and for that I am glad. I feel as though this is the first time I'm meeting you now and will treat this as our first impression of one another."

Footsteps approached the two families and the turned to see Donny and Raph standing with some pizza boxes in their hands. It wasn't until that moment that Leo and Dylan realized how long they had been missing from the group.

Raph stared at the ground unable to look Maya's older brother in the eye again before he said, "I'm gonna go put these in the kitchen."

Dylan took the opportunity to get off the couch and approach the brothers before he said, "Please allow this one to help."

Raph and Donny stared at the boy in shock before Donny gently handed the pizza boxes to Dylan and said, "I'll go find team M&amp;M then."

The red masked turtle didn't know what to think as they walked silently towards the kitchen however he wasn't expecting to hear Dylan speak.

"This one owes you an apology….this one's behavior was out of line," the teen said in a quiet tone that reminded Raph of calm waters.

"Don't be you were right…I really messed up," Raph replied.

"Yes well this one should not have returned the favor that way," the merman said before silence consumed them once more.

It was Dylan who broke the tension between them as he cleared his voice before he confessed, "This one was scared. We were half way around the world when Maya's screams filled our minds with panic and worry. When the link broke with Maya...this one was so sure he had failed another sibling again."

The teen sighed before he added, "It was not you this one was screaming at tonight…it was himself. The idea of losing her…this one's soul could not take it, it would surely be this one's end."

As Raph listened it was like listening to himself talk about his own brothers. If he had lost any of them, he probably would be no better than this guy.

"It's cool I get it. I'd probably be in a murderous rage if I was in your shoes…er fins," Raph said making the other boy smirk.

"Regardless, it ain't gonna happen again. As long as Maya is here with us we're gonna protect her as one of our own clan…that extends to the pod to," the turtle added.

"Thank you," Dylan replied gratefully.

Raph smirked at the other teen and hesitated before he blurted, "I'm sorry about your bro. He seemed pretty cool."

Dylan smiled before he replied, "He was the best brother…very much like your Leonardo."

Raph didn't reply but smiled as they walked to the kitchen. When they got there both teens had deadpan expressions on their face at what they saw.

Mikey and Maya were both laughing hysterically as they licked a cat made of Neapolitan ice cream. The melting cat meowed happily as if it were laughing right along with them.

"ICE CREAM KITTY! ICE CREAM ICE CREAM KITTY! TAKE A KITTY AND TURN IT INTO ICE CREAM! ICE CREAM KITTY! ICE CREAM ICE CREAM KITTY! ICE CREAM KITTTTTTTTYYYY!" the pair sang looking as if they absolutely loved life in that moment.

"And humans say there are strange oddities at the bottom of the ocean," Dylan commented with a sigh.

Raph couldn't help chuckling before he replied, "No shit...gotta admit though, they were made for each other."

Dylan nodded in agreement before he said, "I am glad Maya found her one in Michelangelo."

"Me to," Raph replied.

The two didn't know how long they watched the strange pair but it granted them peace to see their siblings so happy.

* * *

All done for now. Just so you guys know I probably won't update next weekend since Halloween is my seven year anniversary with the most amazing man EVA! Needless to say I'll be a little busy so I might update middle of next week or weekend after we'll see. Anyway take care, have an amazing Halloween and don't forget to review the lady!


	25. Chapter 25

So sorry I'm updating so late with this I was struck with writer's block it was awful :( Anyway we're back on track and back with a new chapter, enjoy!

* * *

After the eventful evening of having a pod of angry mermaids invade their home things started going back to normal….well normal for a family of mutant turtles, their mutant rat father and pet ice cream cat. It had been a few days since the mermaids had come to the lair and plans had gone underway to prepare for the days of celebration.

Splinter and Neptune were walking through the sewers finding an appropriate place to hold the ceremony for both celebrations. The pair had become quick friends after the pod's arrival finding a kindred spirit in one another.

At first the idea of allowing himself the luxury of a friend of his own terrified the former human to no end. After all the last person he trusted with the lives of both himself and his family had been none other than the Shredder. Splinter suddenly felt his chest tighten with the familiar pain of betrayal and grief that he had been carrying for the past fifteen years.

"You are quite Splinter," Neptune commented as they walked.

"Forgive me I fear my mind is troubled," the rat replied solemnly.

The massive merman glanced towards his host before he said, "This one senses that the heaviness weighing on you has something to with him."

Splinter stopped walking before he took a moment to try and find the words he wanted to explain his emotions. Neptune stopped walking as well waiting patiently for the other man to gather his thoughts.

"It is difficult to explain," the rat admitted.

"I suppose it is not so much to do with you as much as to do with my past…It has made it difficult for me to trust outside of the family I have left," Splinter explained.

Neptune was quite for a moment before he replied, "This one assumes this has to do with the images that have come from your mind. A fire, a man…a woman and infant."

The rat looked up at the merman in shock before Neptune explained, "Before you ask this one has not read your mind or explored your memories Splinter; that would be a breach of the trust our pod wishes to build with your clan. You have built a strong wall around your mind which tells this one that you do not trust easily and yet without realizing it you have slowly let your own walls down. If the trouble that lies within your heart is that you do not know if you should trust again then know that you no longer should dwell on it for you have already begun to allow this one and Aquarius to enter your mind, invited us even."

Splinter looked truly surprised at himself for allowing such a thing to happen, especially so soon after meeting them. He was brought out of his thoughts by a hand resting on his shoulder and looked into the kind eyes of the pod leader.

"This one swears on his pod, the lives of his children and grandson that Aquarius nor this one will ever betray your trust Splinter. You and your sons are now and forever part of our pod," the merman explained.

"Thank you," Splinter replied as relief and peace filled his spirit as if a weight had left his shoulders.

Soon the pair were walking once more, as they did they began talking about various things. The most surprising topic that came about was that of their lost children. The two men spoke fondly of their memories they had of them.

Neither one of them knew how long it was before they stopped in the middle of an open space. The two men stood on a large metal bridge and looked down to see a pool of water surrounding the bottom. Neptune looked to be contemplating something when he suddenly dived off the bridge and into the water below. He had disappeared for several minutes before he emerged from the water looking satisfied as he looked up towards Splinter.

"What did you find?" Splinter asked curiously.

As Neptune climbed his way back to the bridge he replied, "This pool leads to tunnels that go towards your home and free water. It will be more then large enough to fit both our pod and your clan."

Splinter looked surprised before he asked, "How can you tell after such a short time being underwater? Surely you didn't swim so far that quickly."

Neptune chuckled before he explained as he sat on the edge of the bridge, "The water Splinter, it speaks to this one as his spirit speaks to you."

"Fascinating," the rat said in amazement before his expression brightened.

"This is the ideal location then for the celebrations," Splinter said sitting down beside the merman on the bridge while Neptune dried himself.

"Indeed. There will also be a spectacular view of the full moon that night through that strange metal net," Neptune commented looking up.

Splinter looked up to see a large grate that looked like it connected to sidewalk. The rat realized they were in an old subway rail that had flooded years ago. Humans had installed the bridge so they could safely go through the sewers to inspect them after the water took over this area.

"Is the moon of significant importance to your pod?" Splinter asked curiously.

Neptune seemed quite for a moment before he replied solemnly, "Bo loved the moon…when he was a boy this one would take him to the surface when the moon was full so that he could swim in its glow. He'd say 'papa the moon made the water turn into star light.'"

Splinter watched quietly as the merman seemed to let down walls of his own in that moment. The large creature was fearsome and terrifying to behold, but his heart was broken and his eyes filled with sadness for his lost child. In a way it was humbling to the former human that this powerful being who always stood strong for both his family and his people had chosen Splinter to show his weakness to. There was no longer any doubt in the rat's heart that he could trust this man not only with his life but the lives of his sons.

"I am truly sorry that you must know the pain of outliving a child," Splinter said genuinely sad for the man.

Neptune gave Splinter a sad smile and a nod before he replied, "this one is also troubled for the loss of your family pod brother."

Splinter gave Neptune a grateful nod before the pair decided they were ready to head back to the lair. As they walked the two men were content in the comfortable silence and new understanding on one another.

…

It was finally safe enough for Maya to go back to school after her injuries had healed. Isla had managed to come up with a clever story to tell the school involving Maya falling while dancing in the shower. Needless to say the mermaid wasn't terribly impressed with her pod sister after that little fiasco since it didn't take long for the entire school to somehow find out.

"If Isla was not raising Bo's son this one would nail her fins to the bottom of the ocean floor for this," Maya said in annoyance.

April couldn't help chuckling as she wrapped a comforting arms around her friend.

"Cheer up it could always be worse," the red head said trying to cheer the girl up.

"Hey slip and slide!" a boy from another table shouted at Maya making the mermaid even more irritated than ever.

"You're planning something nasty to do to Isla aren't you?" April asked knowingly when she saw the dark look on the smaller girl's face.

Maya looked at April with a serious expression before she replied, "as we speak this one is teaching Caspian to call her fatty fins."

This apparently bad been both a bad time for April to take a sip of her water and for Casey Jones to sit across from her. April sit her water right in the poor boy's face before she started choking with laughter.

"Well hello to you to," Casey greeted in annoyance before he started wiping his face off with the napkin Maya offered him.

"I am so sorry Casey," April replied when she finally got control of herself.

"Forget it Red," the boy replied slightly annoyed.

Deciding to change the subject Maya smiled at her human friends before she said, "now that you are both here this one has something to tell you."

Both April and Casey turned to the girl giving them her undivided attention before she explained, "This weekend will be Caspian's first birthday. Our family would be honored if you would attend the celebrations."

"A birthday party for a mermaid prince, are you kidding? Of course we'll be there, that's like a once in a lifetime chance," Casey whispered excitedly.

April rolled her eyes at Casey before she replied, "we wouldn't miss it for the world. Is everybody going?"

Maya nodded her head enthusiastically before she replied, "yes. Since we will be many, the celebration will be held in the lair…there is also another celebration this one wishes you attend of a different matter."

In a show of unusually seen comfort Casey grabbed Maya's hand before he said, "If it's the thing for your bro you don't even have to ask. Just say when and where and we'll be there in a heartbeat."

April nodded her head in agreement as she rested her hand on top of Casey's hand that was covering Maya's.

"Thank you friends," Maya replied giving them both a grateful smile.

"No problem Gidget. We got your back," the black haired boy replied squeezing her hand.

The moment between the three friends was ruined however when someone walking by chose that moment to say something snarky.

"Yoh Jones, send those babes my way when you're done with them. I'll show them what a real good time looks like," the boy sneered with a lecherous grin on his face before he puckered his lips and winked at Maya.

Casey was about to go knock the kid's teeth in but Maya beat him to it. The tiny silver haired girl gracefully swung around and shot her arm up using the palm of her hand to break the boy's nose. April turned in her seat and punched the boy in his solar plex making the kid drop like a ton of bricks. Everything happened so fast that before anyone knew what had happened both girls were sitting back down at the cafeteria table acting like nothing had just happened.

"The boy was not wrong this one quite enjoyed herself," Maya said casually.

"Haven't had that much fun in a while," April replied happily.

Casey stared at them both with an unreadable expression before he said, "hell I had a good time just watchin'."

It wasn't long after the cafeteria burst into laughter that a teacher came over to them looking absolutely furious.

"What happened here?" the teacher demanded as he knelt down to inspect the boy's condition.

April was quick to explain, "Well he thought it would be funny to make disgusting sexual comments about my friend and I so we put him in his place."

The teacher looked up to the small girls before looking across the table to see the smug looking Casey Jones. The man immediately assumed he knew what actually happened.

"That is a very entertaining story Miss O'Neill but how about you tell me the truth this time," the teacher said sternly.

All four teens looked surprised by the teacher's response before Maya piped in, "Beg pardon sir but that is what actually happened."

The teacher snorted before he replied, "you expect me to believe that you two took this boy down while Mr. Jones just sat there and watched."

"Seeing as how it's the truth we do actually," April said getting visibly upset.

Casey knew April was wasting her breath and quickly stood up before he said, "its cool April you don't need to cover for me. I can fight my own battles.

The teen then turned to the teacher and said, "Sir, I know what I look like to you but my old man raised me to be aggressive on the ice and a gentleman off of it. He also taught me that when you see somebody like that slime ball harassing _anybody _the way he was harassing these girls then you do somethin' about it."

"Did your old man teach you to use your fists first and ask questions later?" the teacher sneered.

"He was talkin' gross about my friends!" Casey shouted angrily.

"I don't care what he said, you broke his nose in two places. Get to the principal's office now!" the teacher demanded before turning to the teen on the ground.

"Casey Jones will be happy to tell _Madam_ Principal why I was sent her way," the teen sneered at both the teacher and the teen before turning to pick up his bag. He gave a lazy gaze to the girls and nodded his head before he casually said, "ladies."

With that the black haired teen started whistling a cheerful tune and walking casually out of the cafeteria only fueling the rage of both the teacher and the teen.

…

The trio went to the lair that night later then they usually did. After Maya and April burst into the principal's office to come to Casey's rescue the woman was more than happy to let the boy off the hook with a slap on the wrist. As they walked into the sewer home Casey looked rather amused while both Maya an April looked furious. When the Hamato clan and the mermaid pod set eyes on them they had no idea what to make of the facial expressions.

"May, what took you guys…everything okay?" Mikey asked concerned.

The mermaid looked at her friend with an upset expression before she replied, "this one was very disturbed by the actions of a human today. It was very troubling."

"That's putting it lightly. I swear if that kid so much as looks at Maya like that again I'm gonna stab his eyes out with a dull pencil," April replied menacingly.

The turtles looked horrified and furious. Wanting to lighten the mood Casey walked over to April and wrapped an arm around her before he replied, "Atta girl Red. I knew you had a little raging gingy in there somewhere."

Words could not do justice to the expression on Donny's face when he heard April say, "Jones get your arm off of me before I stick my raging gingy foot up your butt."

"This one demands to know what exactly is going on," Dylan demanded trying to keep his temper under control.

Leo noticed that Mikey and Maya seemed to be talking through their link before his youngest brother clenched his fist looking furious. This was followed by the entire mermaid pod looking furious before the footsteps of a livid Isla and Dylan could be heard stomping towards the exit.

"Oh no you don't," Leo said grabbing the mermaid's arm while Donny managed to stop the merman.

"This one will teach the little worm some manners," Isla hissed menacingly.

"Agreed," Dylan hissed.

The blue masked turtle was slightly scared before he replied in a calm voice, "look you can't go around beating up kids because they're bullies. There are laws topside and I don't think you want to be in jail on Caspian's first birthday. Brat isn't worth it."

Isla huffed before she replied with a smug smile, "Do not underestimate this one Leonardo. You assume that this one would allow herself to be caught."

"This one already broke his nose sister. He has been properly warned," Maya pipped in smiling proudly with Mikey beaming just as proudly beside her as if he threw the punch.

"You used that move I taught you," the orange masked turtle commented with a smirk.

Maya nodded her head happily as Aquarius approached looking quite irritated by the situation before turning to her pod daughter and blood son.

"Isla, Dylan stand down you will not interfere in your sister's life among the land walkers," she said before turning to her daughter.

The older woman had an unreadable expression on her face until she gently rested her hands on the girl's shoulders and a small smile graced the woman's face.

"You've become strong child. This mother is proud of the warrior huntress she knew her daughter would become," the woman said.

Maya managed an embarrassed smile before her mother's expression turned dark and said, "That said if this mother finds out that another worm has spoken to her daughter in such a way again, she will be taking his tongue as a souvenir."

April, Casey and the turtles looked at the pair disturbed while Maya just smiled brightly and replied, "thank you mama."

Splinter and Neptune had taken that moment to return to the lair and quickly noticed the tense feeling in the air.

"What has happened wife?" Neptune asked concerned.

"A land walker thought it his right to treat our daughter with disrespect," Aquarius explained quickly making Neptune tense his body in rage.

"Ease your mind husband our daughter has handled herself well. She proved today that she is not to be trifled with thanks to the training of Michelangelo," the mermaid quickly added.

Neptune's demeanor suddenly changed from deadly to what the turtles and humans affectionately dubbed 'happy Santa' mode.

"HO! HO! HO! THIS ONE WOULD EXPECT NOTHING LESS FROM THE ONE OF OUR DAUGHTER!" Neptune boomed in a jolly voice as he wrapped a massive arm around Mikey and jostled him a bit.

The orange masked turtle had a 'save me' look on his face as the giant merman bounced him up and down while crushing him into the side of his enormous body.

"Father…" Dylan said when he noticed poor Mikey turning purple.

"Hmm," Neptune said before he followed his son's gaze to the oxygen deprived turtle and quickly let him go.

As poor Mikey tried desperately to catch his breath Donny turned to the two older men and asked, "Any luck with you guys?"

"Indeed we were very lucky. We found a place large enough to fit us all," Splinter replied happily.

"Great! All we gotta worry about now is presents and a cake for the little man of honor," Casey said with a cheerful smirk.

"Wait presents? Nobody said anything about presents? What the heck are we supposed to get a baby mermaid as a present?" Raph said looking as though he was about to have a panic attack.

Isla couldn't help chuckling before she explained, "merfolk do not celebrate as humans do child. Thank you but gifts will not be necessary."

"Too late it's already wrapped. The wee baby Cass is getting a present from yours truly," the teen replied stubbornly with a smirk on his face.

The older woman wanted to glare at the teen but couldn't keep the smile off her face. No more was said about the birthday after that but that didn't stop Raph from over thinking about whether or not he should get the little guy a present for his birthday.

Surprisingly it was Dylan who noticed that the red masked turtle was imploding inside his head trying to decide what he should do. Quietly he walked over and stood beside Raph looking casual as he spoke inside the turtle's head.

_'Don't over think it. If you choose to not give him a gift no one will care. If you choose to get him something Caspian will love it regardless of what it is. That is the child's nature' _the mermaid said to Raph.

The turtle looked over to Dylan in shock before the mermaid simply gave him a smirk and walked away to go speak to his parents.

…

It was the day of Bo's anniversary and a very solemn day to say the least. Maya and her family had decided that before the celebration there should be a hunt for a feast to honor the fallen merman. This left Mikey sitting on the couch in the living room at the lair with his arms curled around his legs staring at the blank screen of the television.

It was only natural that the smallest of the turtles would be worried and sad for his friend. The last time Mikey had seen Maya a few days ago she had become distant. He didn't like it and it certainly didn't suit the mermaid he knew and loved. He wanted nothing more than to be with her making Maya smile and laugh while they read comic books together. Mikey knew though that there were times when only family could make you feel better.

Leo had come out of the dojo after doing some training when he noticed his youngest brother sitting on the couch looking upset. He hadn't forgotten what today was and knew that his baby brother wanted more than anything to be with Maya to get her through this awful anniversary. Quietly he went and sat down beside Mikey on the couch.

The orange masked turtle had yet to make any kind of indication that he noticed Leo sitting beside him until the blue masked turtle wrapped an arm around his shoulders and Mikey leaned into the embrace.

"You alright?" Leo asked gently.

"Worried about Maya…she's acting weird," Mikey replied bluntly.

Leo squeezed his little brother's arm sympathetically. He knew Mikey was the most empathetic of the four of them. They all knew it upset Mikey when he couldn't help somebody or make them happy when they needed it most.

"It's a hard day. She'll come when she's ready…you two seem to draw to each other like magnets so I don't see her being away from you long," Leo said.

The blue masked turtle was satisfied when he saw a ghost of a smile on the smaller turtle's face. Mikey leaned into his brother for comfort much like he used to when they were little and the youngest of the brother's was scared of noises he heard in the sewers.

"Something else on your mind Mikey?" Leo asked when he noticed the signs of distress in his brother.

Mikey was quiet for a few minutes and sighed before he asked, "does it ever bother you that what happened to Bo could happen to you?"

Leo seemed surprised by the question for a moment before he replied, "Not at all. If it came down to it I'd be more than happy to do what he did to protect this family."

The orange masked turtle pushed away from his brother as he looked up at Leo with eyes filled with anger and sadness before he said, "Really? After all the people who have been hurt by what Bo did you're still okay with it? His son has no father, his siblings lost their brother, and his dad lost his kid. How is that okay in your head?"

"I could die happy knowing it was to keep my loved ones safe. It may suck to die and miss out on growing old with my family but at least I can say I did my best to protect them," Leo explained gently but Mikey just still looked bothered by the whole thing.

The older turtle tilted Mikey's chin so that they were eye to eye before he said, "don't be so sad little brother. Nothing is going to happen to me, I won't let it…but even if the time came where I had to make that sacrifice I would still find a way to watch over my troublesome, accident prone little brothers."

"Promise?" Mikey replied almost begging.

"On my honor little brother. I will always watch over you," Leo said before he kissed the side of Mikey's head in a rare show of affection.

At that moment Donny and Raph walked into the room to see the pair sitting on the couch. It didn't take them long to see that their brothers were having a heavy conversation.

"Everything okay here?" Raph asked.

Leo nodded his head before he explained, "Yeah, everything is fine. Mikey is just worried about Maya and stuff."

"Ya…stuff," Donny said sounding as if he suddenly knew what the pair had been talking about.

The purple masked turtle sat beside Mikey on his other side before wrapping his arm around his only little brother comfortingly. Raph sat beside Donny before letting his arm rest on the back of the couch behind the two younger turtles.

None of them said anything as they sat on the couch. The turtles just wanted to feel the comfort of having the presence of all four siblings together and appreciating the fact that they could be together. They had no idea how long they sat there before Master Splinter walked in and gave his sons a sad smile.

"Come my sons. April and Casey are waiting for us," Splinter said gently before he watched his sons silently get up off the couch.

The four stood before their father waiting for him to lead them to the ceremony but were not expecting him to pull them into his arms and embrace them.

"It is unfortunate that we only seem to realize how lucky we are during tragedies such as this. The four of you have brought light into my life when my heart was shadowed in darkness. I am proud of the sons I have raised and love all of you with all of my being. Never forget that," Splinter said before he pulled away and stared at the shocked faces.

"Let us go before we are late" Splinter said before he turned to lead his sons to fetch their human friends on the way to the ceremony.

The trip was uneventful, none of them spoke even when they caught up with April and Casey. When they arrived they were shocked to see the water below completely consumed with merfolk. Maya and her family floated in a smaller circle while the rest of the pod surrounded them in another perfect circle.

Maya was the first to notice the arrival of the Hamato clan and her human friends along with them. She had managed to catch Mikey's eye before she smiled up at him. The orange masked turtle quickly returned the smile.

_'I'm here' _Mikey said through the link.

_'This one did not doubt it for a moment that you would be' _Maya replied.

_'I've got bacon Nutella pizza with your name on it from waiting in a blanket fort in my room filled with comic books' _Mikey said giving the girl one of his signature smirks.

Maya couldn't help smiling brightly back up at him before she replied _'Michelangelo Hamato, you certainly know how to make a mermaid feel special. This one will slip away right after the ceremony and meet you back at the lair.'_

_'I'll be there' _the orange masked turtle promised.

Before Maya could reply Isla emerged from the water holding Caspian in her arms in the middle of the circle Maya and her family had created. The woman took a moment to look around and smile at all of the incredible individuals that had supported their family throughout the year. She then began to hum, at first it was soft and quiet but soon it was becoming louder and louder. Before long Isla was singing a melody. It was soon followed by Maya, Aquarius, Dylan and Neptune. Before long the entire pod was singing the melody that invoked several emotions from the humans.

At first the tune was full of sadness and despair but it then something warm seemed to emerge through the melody, it was hope. Soon the music echoing through the sewers made the humans and mutants feel happy but at the same time the dull sensation of the intense sadness and pain from before was still there. Splinter realized that the music was the expression of the emotions of the pod as a whole. They were singing to their lost pod member, they were telling his spirit that he was missed and not forgotten and at that moment sensed a presence.

The turtles, humans and Splinter had no idea how long they were there listening but they were all so entranced the beauty of the voices of the pod that they didn't even care. The song ended the same way it began, the pod stopped singing followed by the head family until only Isla was left singing with her son.

The sewers were quiet once more and it only then that the group of land dwellers realized that they were crying.

"That was amazing," April said in awe.

Casey could only nod in reply as he quickly wiped his eyes dry hoping nobody saw him.

All of a sudden something truly bizarre happened. Even though none of the merfolk were moving, the water began to ripple. It swirled and waved until it began to bubble in front of Isla and Caspian. The turtles were quickly on edge but with one look from Splinter they stopped. The former human pointed down and they were all shocked to see the bubbling water taking shape until it looked like a person, a mermaid to be exact.

None of them knew what to do or say when the water took on the form of a smiling Bo. The merman smiled lovingly at his mate before he leaned in and kissed her gently. He then leaned down and kissed the head of his young son and smiled sadly at the little boy as he let his child curl his hands around his fingers. He then turned to his siblings and quickly pulled them into his chest hugging them as tight as he could before Neptune and Aquarius joined their embrace.

Thinking this couldn't get any weirder, the Hamato clan and the humans couldn't help jumping back in surprise when Bo looked up at them and shot up with the water until he was at their level. He seemed to stare at them all until his eyes locked onto Mikey. The merman smiled brightly before opening his arms wide to him. Nervously the orange masked turtle walked over and allowed Bo to pull him to his wet chest hugging him tightly.

_'This one can rest easy knowing that Maya has you to light her way, thank you' _the mermaid whispered hauntingly in Mikey's mind.

After he pulled away Bo gave a kind smile to them and crossed his arm over his chest before bowing his head respectfully. Then without warning his form disappeared and rained down upon the mermaids until there was nothing left.

"Woh," Raph said in absolute shock.

"What just happened?" Donny asked.

Leo smiled at the ground sadly before he replied, "this wasn't just a memorial…it was so that they could say goodbye to Bo."

After everything went quiet, everyone seemed to feel a sense of peace. It was Donny who after getting over his shock that his baby brother was no longer by their side and Maya was nowhere to be seen.

* * *

This is by far one of the longest chapters I have ever written. Anyway hope you guys like and don't forget to review the lady!


	26. Chapter 26

Good evening readers it's time for another fun filled chapter! Just a head's up there are a few mature themes in this so tread carefully if you please. Otherwise enjoy chums :)

* * *

Mikey ran into the lair and went straight over to the pond where the tire swing hung over. He waited patiently as he searched the waters for the mermaid to surface. Finally after a few minutes Maya finally emerged. In an instant the girl had jumped out of the water, wrapped her arms around the orange masked turtle's neck and buried her face into his chest. At the same time Mikey had his arms wrapped protectively around the mermaid tightly hugging her to his body.

_'I'm here' _Mikey said through the link.

_'You always are' _Maya replied hugging the turtle as if he would disappear if she let him go.

Before the mermaid even had a chance to dry Mikey had picked the girl up in his arms and ran for his room. When they got there Maya could help but gasp at the size of the fort that literally took up the entire floor.

"Well go on in and check it out," Mikey said holding open the one blanket that acted as the door to the fort.

Maya smiled before she turned human and crawled inside instantly being hit with the smell of bacon and chocolate. As she got further in Maya stopped in shock as she looked around. The massive fort was big enough for her to stand in and was lit up by strings of icicle lights. All around were massive pillows, blankets, comic books and of course the pizza.

"Ah ya! How awesome is this set up?" Mikey said after he crawled in.

Maya just looked around the room before she turned to the turtle and asked, "You did all this…for this one?"

"Well ya of course I did. Only the best for the best best friend a turtle could have," Mikey replied like it was the most obvious thing in the world.

"This one thought Raph was your best friend," Maya said with a raised eyebrow and a playful smirk.

Without missing a beat the orange masked turtle replied, "Well he's my best guy friend but you are my very favorite of my female friends."

"All three of them if you include ice cream kitty," Maya teased.

"Of course, and of all three of those female friends you are the only one that I wanna do this to," Mikey said before he leaned over and rubbed their noses together affectionately.

The silver haired girl couldn't help giggling as a warm feeling spread through her stomach when his skin touched hers. After the first time he did it he told her it was an eskimo kiss and that he liked doing them because he liked how they always made people laugh.

You're also the only one that lets me do this," Mikey said before he poked Maya's boob.

"Seriously I don't get why these are such a big deal," the turtle added as he continued to poke the side of his friend's breast.

"Neither does this one," the mermaid replied poking her other boob.

"You must admit they're kind of fun to play with…like those hacki sak things," the mermaid said.

"Totally," Mikey replied as if he had just a revelation about the understanding of a woman's breast.

Maya just chuckled before smacking the turtle's hand away from her and said, "That's enough for now this one is hungry. Now bring forth the glory that is pizza and comics!"

"Yes ma'am," Mikey said before he grabbed the pizza box and the closest silver sentry comic that was nearby before making himself comfortable on a pile of pillows.

Maya grabbed a blanket before she curled up beside Mikey and rested herself on his chest wrapping the blanket around them. Before long the pair were engrossed in their bacon Nutella concoction of a pizza and stories of adventure.

It was after they finished one of the graphic novels that Maya looked up at the fun loving turtle and said, "Mikey…thank you for this. You are truly this one's amazing beloved."

The turtle just looked down at the mermaid and smiled before he replied, "I know."

Maya burst out laughing when she realized that she had just been Han Solo trolled by Mikey.

…

Neptune, Aquarius and Dylan had all agreed that they would walk back to the lair after the feast. Isla had excused herself to go back to the apartment saying she wanted to have some time alone with her son. As they made their way back home the merfolk all seemed anxious and kept looking off towards where Isla had gone.

"Is there something the matter?" Splinter asked gently.

Aquarius sighed before she replied, "forgive our rudeness pod brother. We are worried for our Isla…she has been in a delicate condition since the loss of her one."

Leo looked towards them with a confused look on his face before he asked, "what sort of delicate condition?"

Neptune and his wife looked at each other hesitantly before Dylan decided to answer for them.

"To understand her condition you must understand the concept of being one to another. Among the merfolk there is only one that we mate with for life. They are our one that completes us, our one that truly understands us, and our other half that makes our spirit one. Our life partner, our beloved, our one devoted being that we cannot live without….so much so that we _will _not live without them," Dylan explained.

It suddenly dawned on the Hamato clan what made Isla's condition so delicate.

"Losing our one is like having a part of your soul die forever. It is painful physically, emotionally, mentally and spiritually. Like a terminal disease there is no recovering from it…Isla is the first among us to survive the loss of a one," Aquarius added.

"Are you guys sayin' that Isla wants to kill herself?" Casey asked horrified.

Neptune smiled sadly before he replied, "there was a time where we thought she might. However Caspian seems to have saved his mother's life simply by being born. That child was a product of their love and Isla could never have the heart to destroy it as it grew in her womb…even afterwards we prepared ourselves to raise our grandson but we were delighted to see that it was not necessary."

"It was quite miraculous really. One moment Isla was barely hanging onto life in her excruciating pain and the next it was if she found a strength within herself she didn't know she had to continue. Caspian is her reason for living; her miracle if you will. ," Aquarius added.

"That said Isla will always feel that pain and have to bear with it her entire life. Our fear is that one day she will not be able to handle the pain anymore and join Bo within the waves of free water," Dylan said sadly.

Everyone became quiet as they traveled until it was Donny that broke the tense silence that had filled the air around them.

"It'll never happen for two reasons. One, Isla is probably one of the toughest people I know. Two, I think I speak for everyone present when I say we won't let that happen," the purple masked turtle said confidently.

"I'm with Donny on that,"Raph piped in just as confidently.

"Likewise. We failed once…that will not happen again," Leo added with a determined look on his face.

The merfolk seemed shocked by the response from their new friends before Aquarius and Neptune looked towards each other as soft smiles graces their faces.

Aquarius turned to the turtles before she replied, "thank you. It puts our hearts at ease to know that our daughters are among such devoted allies."

The turtles all looked suddenly bashful while Splinter looked proudly at his sons. He knew it was odd for any of his four children to receive a compliment from someone that was not him.

The group suddenly realized that they were now back at the lair and quickly went inside to settle down after all the festivities. While Splinter sat down with Neptune and Aquarius to have some tea, the teens went in all different directions. Leo went to his room to meditate while Casey and Raph went to the dojo to spar. April decided that she was going to follow Donny and Dylan into the lab to watch her friend squeal like a fangirl as he asked Dylan questions about merfolk.

"So Dylan...would it be alright if I asked you about what happened today?" Donny asked hesitantly.

"Of course why would it not be," the merman replied casually as he sat back in his chair.

"Well it's just that…we were all surprised to see Bo show up to his own memorial. How is that possible?" Donny asked.

"This one takes it that seeing the souls of loved ones that have passed on is not a gift land walkers possess," Dylan replied.

"Not really no," the turtle replied.

The boy nodded his head before he said, "very well then. There is a legend among all merfolk about how we came to be. It is said that the god of the seas, the original Neptune was a very lonely god. All of the others lived either on land or in the sky but only he ruled the seas. Not able to stand the loneliness any longer Neptune created many kinds of fish, thousands of him to keep him company but still he felt alone. He didn't understand why he should feel this way and became angry. Reflecting their master's distress the waves of the ocean grew choppy and large. So much so that one of the large waves consumed a boat nearby taking it and the humans on board under the water. Neptune saw the humans and became fascinated by them, particularly a couple who were clutching each other awaiting death. What struck the mighty god strange was that the man and woman were smiling at one another as if they were _happy _to die in each other's arms. They moved the god's heart by their love and so he saved them. Using his magic, Neptune turned the souls of all the humans from the ship to water. When their souls changed so did their bodies to become the image of their savior and hence merfolk were born. Legend says that because the god made our souls out of water that when we die we simply become a part of the ocean once more."

"Wow. That is a beautiful story and so romantic," April said in amazement.

Dylan couldn't help smiling at the human girl before he continued, "yes well we are the few mammals known for being romantic like the land walkers."

"Was it the story of that couple that inspired lovers being called each other's one?" April asked.

"As a matter of fact yes. Part of the story is that when he created the merfolk he noticed something amazing. The young couple that he saved seemed to share one soul and it shone the brightest of all the souls. The others' souls seemed dimly lit and small compared to the lovers, he did not understand why. That was until he noticed something coming from one of the mermen, there seemed to be a beam of light shooting out of his body and towards one of the mermaids not too far away. Curious, Neptune swam to the man and told him to follow him. The merman obeyed and followed the god to the mermaid and instantly fell in love with her. Upon their first kiss the souls of the pair seemed to stitch together and shine brightly with warmth. In that moment Neptune realized that his merfolk only possessed half a soul and the light from their bodies were to guide his children to their one that would complete them," Dylan explained.

Donny and April stared at Dylan in amazement, both utterly blown away by the story of creation for merfolk. The purple masked turtle quickly got a hold of himself though when he thought of the merfolk needing another of their species to complete their soul and how this affected Mikey and Maya.

"Wait if merfolk can only complete their souls with others of their kind, aren't you worried about Maya's soul never being whole with Mikey?" Donny asked.

The merman looked at Donny like he had grown an extra head before he replied, "this one never said our one has to be one of us, after all do you not think when the merfolk were first land walkers that their one would not be also? Many merfolk sacrificed their fins to be land walkers for their one…have you never heard the tale of 'the small mermaid?'"

"You mean the fictional one where the mermaid turned into seafoam so the prince could be happy?" Donny asked confused.

"No! The story was based on fact, the humans documented it falsely so they could scare their young into behaving. The small mermaid was given a knife by her sisters to kill her one for falling for another but she couldn't do it and decided to use the blade on herself so that her prince may be happy. Wanting to die in her true form the mermaid transformed into her natural form before picking up the knife. However the prince found her and stopped her when he recognized his one before she could. He told her that the woman was not his love but beloved cousin who came for his blessing to wed since her father was dead and he was the oldest male. The prince begged the mermaid to stay with him for it would kill him if she did not. The mermaid asked her beloved if her natural form disturbed him. The man replied, human or mermaid you still possess my heart and soul," Dylan recited making April swoon.

"After that they became one and their soul shone brightly like a star. Since then no merfolk has questioned the power of becoming one with humans…or this one guesses in this case the love between merfolk and mutant turtle," the teen added.

Have Mikey and Maya...ya know become one yet?" Donny asked curiously.

Dylan smiled before he shook his head and replied, "Their love is pure and the light connecting their souls is shining brightly between them. However they still have yet to combine their souls."

"How will you know when they become one?" April asked curiously.

"The first kiss will combine their souls for life. Their first mate will grace them with the living embodiment of their love," Dylan replied simply.

April didn't know how much more she could take of this beautiful philosophy the mermaids had on love but she adored it. Donny on the other hand had saucers for eyes and a huge blush on his face which held an expression of shock.

"Are you uhh…..pardon do you mean to tell me that when they kiss it's like their marrying each other?" Donny asked trying to stay calm.

"Yes," Dylan answered bluntly.

"A-and the first time they have sex will ultimately mean that uh….Maya will have a 100% chance of being pregnant?" Donny continued still trying to not freak out.

"Correct again Donatello. Do not worry though we await the day they bring forth new life to the pod," Dylan explained trying to comfort the shell shocked turtle.

Unfortunately Donny wasn't really listening to the merman as thoughts of his innocent, naïve little brother having sex consumed his mind. He wasn't ready for Mikey to have this kind of relationship with a girl, Mikey was still a silly kid. Donny, Leo and Raph liked that their baby brother held on to his innocent nature all this time, the idea of Mikey growing up and acting mature kind of broke his heart.

A hand on his shoulder brought Donny back to reality as he turned to see a sympathetic smile on April's pretty face directed at him.

"Relax Donny, this is Mikey and Maya we're talking about here. I think we can enjoy them being oblivious about that sort of thing for a while yet," April assured him.

"It is true. Her scent that declares her ready to mate will not appear for another couple of years. However this one would not be surprised if they became one soul sooner than later," Dylan added.

Donny looked over to Dylan in shock before he said, "wait so you guys get married at roughly fifteen to sixteen year old but don't mate until your body is at least eighteen? How is that possible?"

Dylan smiled before he replied, "you land walkers are always in such a rush when it comes to these things. Have you people not learned yet that there is more to love then intercourse?"

The purple masked turtle couldn't answer as a flood of relief washed over his entire being after hearing that team M&amp;M were going to stay their innocent beautiful selves for a while longer.

The conversation was interrupted when Raph threw the door open to the lab looking shocked and amused before he said, "you're gonna wanna see this."

Donny was off his seat in a second chasing after his older brother with April close on his heels. Donny felt his stomach drop when he realized Raph was leading them to Mikey's room where Maya's parents, Splinter, Leo and Casey were waiting for them.

"Don't look so tense Splinter. This one is overwhelmed by how cute they are right now?" Aquarius said smiling proudly.

"Well of course they look cute right now wife they are still for once," Neptune replied in an amused tone that made his beloved chuckle.

Splinter didn't look terribly amused as he looked inside his youngest son's bedroom. Donny quickly followed his gaze and almost had a heart attack at what he found.

There lying in a pile of pillows, comics and pizza crusts was a sleeping Mikey with his arm wrapped protectively around a sleeping Maya who was resting her naked body on his chest. The pair were covered by only a blanket looking as if they had promptly fell asleep after making love.

"Isla will be cross that she missed this," Dylan said with amusement in his voice.

April and Casey were both shocked by the compromising position team M&amp;M was in but at the same time they were trying desperately not to laugh at the turtles and the variety of amusing expressions on their faces. Leo looked embarrassed and shocked, Raph looked confused as to how this could have possibly happened and poor Donny looked as though somebody had just run over his puppy.

"T-this can't be happening…their not ready…I'm not ready to be an uncle yet," Donny mumbled like his mind had just come undone.

"What are you talkin' about Brainiac? Whose gonna be an uncle?" Raph asked after overhearing the last part of his younger brother's babbling.

"No…they couldn't have…he still calls it the ugly elephant there is no way Mikey did _that_," Leo said in shock as it dawned on him what his brother was implying.

The red masked turtle suddenly became very still and his eyes turned into saucers before he said, "nuh uh I don't believe it. Not our Mikey that still sneaks into my room with his teddy bear when he has nightmares after a monster movie marathon…that…is just not a possibility."

"My sons enough. Although admittedly I to was a bit uncomfortable discovering this, I am quite sure you are over thinking the situation," Splinter said before he turned to see his three oldest sons looking devastated and confused.

Neptune raised an eyebrow to the group before turning to Dylan and said, "This one thought you explained to the purple one about our mating rituals."

"This one did Father but they still jumped to conclusions," the merman replied with a deadpanned expression on his face.

Splinter tried desperately not to chuckle before he said, "my sons do you forget that Michelangelo is unusually comfortable around Maya when she is naked."

The three turtles looked up at their father confused before Splinter explained, "Maya _swam _here, meaning she had no clothes with her. They likely fell asleep before she was dry."

If anyone present was quiet enough they would have heard the waves of relief consuming Leo, Raph and Donny as they realized Mikey and Maya were still innocent virgins. This was then followed by them looking absolutely embarrassed about their initial reaction.

"They're so cute when they go in big brother mode," April teased lightly.

"Ya Isla really gonna be mad she missed this," Casey said as he sent the mermaid a video he had been filming since Donny showed up.

* * *

Hoorah! Finally a chapter hinting at a blossoming romance between team M&amp;M! Hope you liked it and don't forget to review the lady!


	27. Chapter 27

Hell everyone it's been a while sorry about that, stupid writer's block. Anyway on with the story

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It was the day after the memorial and Raph woke up feeling emotionally drained by the whole experience. Especially the part where he found out Isla, probably the toughest lady he knew, was living in constant pain and thoughts of ending it all. It was all just so hard to believe when this was the same woman currently planning her son's first birthday with a proud smile on her face.

It couldn't help making him think about his own father.

Master Splinter had lost his whole world once. The red masked turtle still remembered when Splinter first told them the story of their mutation when they were six. He told them that they were the reason he opened his eyes in the morning, took his next breath and willed his broken heart to keep beating. He never forgot those words but he never truly understood them either until he found out about Isla.

It suddenly made Raph feel humble and grateful that it was Master Splinter that became his father instead of any other living soul on the planet. He was also feeling awfully indebted to an amazing little boy and his incredible mother for making him realize it.

Feeling suddenly very determined Raph decided that he was going to do his best to help Isla with whatever she needed to give Caspian the best first birthday a kid could have on land or in the ocean. The turtle quickly got out of bed and made his way to the kitchen to see his family already up and sitting at the table while Mikey made breakfast.

"Hey Sleeping fugly," Mikey teased his brother.

"You better have coffee made to have the balls to talk smack to me like that little brother," Raph growled at the orange masked turtle.

Mikey chuckled before using his spatula to point his grizzly bear of a brother in the direction of the full pot of coffee.

"You live today," Raph growled before making his way over to the coffee.

As he sat down to wait for his breakfast he couldn't help overhearing his two brothers talking to their father.

"I'm in the middle of sewing a blanket similar to the ones I made for each of you," Splinter replied answering a question his oldest son had asked him.

"That sounds awesome sensei," Leo commented knowing that a blanket made by Splinter would be a cherished possession.

"I found an old piggy bank that looks like a bear at the dump. If I clean it up a bit I can fill it with change as a starter for an education fund. I figure we'll never get the chance to do something like go to college so why not give a kid who can his best shot," Donny said thoughtfully.

"That is an excellent idea my son," Splinter commented proudly. The former human knew how much getting the best of an education meant to his second youngest son.

"Where are you going to get the money to fill it?" Leo asked curiously.

"You'd be _amazed_ how much money humans just let fall out of their pockets," the tech savvy turtle replied.

Raph stared at his family in confusion before he asked, "What the heck are you guys goin' on about?"

The Hamato family just stared at the red masked turtle before Leo said, "Raph…you didn't forget Caspian's birthday is coming up right?"

"Wait…I thought the Isla didn't want presents," Raph replied in a slightly panicked tone.

Donny nodded his head before he explained, "well ya you're right but we just thought we might surprise her ya know."

"I was thinking of carving him something…maybe a rocking horse," Leo decided.

The idea of Leonardo carving something was no surprise to the family of mutants. The oldest of the turtles seemed to have a natural gift of carving and it seemed to help him relax.

"What about you Mikey? Making the little guy anything?" Leo asked.

Mikey looked over his shoulder with a big smile before he replied, "I'm making him his own adventure story. Drawing pictures and everything, April said she'd get the pages lambated for me."

"Laminated Mikey," Donny corrected before taking a sip of his black coffee.

"Who cares what you call it my gift is going to be off the hook! Been working on the story for weeks and I just finished the last of the drawings," Mikey said excited.

"Mikey writing children's stories…mother of mutation those poor kids," Donny teased before dodging a tea towel that the orange masked turtle chucked at his head.

"Do not underestimate your brother's gift for story telling Donatello. Michelangelo I would be honored to read your story to the little one," Splinter said.

The orange masked turtle couldn't help the blush the crept onto his face when he received the compliment from his father. Out of the corner of his eye Mikey noticed that Raph was suddenly really quiet and looking tense.

"Anyway I don't think any of the peeps from water world are getting him anything. There is usually just a huge hunt where all the merfolk catch the largest prey they can in honor of the person getting the birthday," Mikey said feeling like he knew why his brother had a sudden mood change.

"Well isn't offering their kill like giving a gift?" Donny asked curiously.

"I guess so but it's not like a present for anything ya know. It's not like they wrap up a dead shark with a pretty bow and say 'don't eat that all in one day now'. Not necessary to have material objects because they travel and stuff," the orange masked turtle explained hoping to ease his older brother's stress.

To Mikey's delight Raph did visibly relax. That was until Leo, the king of respect and honor had to say something.

"You make a good point Mikey but Isla, Maya and Caspian have been living on land probably since just after the baby's birth. As individuals who live on land it would probably be respectful to offer our version of a gift," Leo said before Mikey watched Raph tense right back up again.

"Look just don't stress out about the whole present thing…they really will just be happy that you want to be a part of the celebration," the orange masked turtle said quickly making his brothers look at him suspiciously.

Splinter looked at his youngest with a knowing gaze and a proud smile before he replied, "Thank you my son for reminding us that it is the thought that counts. It will not be the gifts we offer that Isla will remember but that we were simply there to celebrate the life of her son."

Before anyone else could say another word, Raph quickly got up and walked out of the room. Mikey quickly turned off the stove before running after his big brother. Leo and Don looked at each other in confusion before looking over at their father for answers.

…

Raph had no idea why this was bothering him so much, it's just a stupid overrated tradition to give presents. Still it made him feel like a first class jerk that he couldn't think of a single gift to get the kid. He wasn't creative or talented like his brothers were when it came to stuff like this and he had no money to go out and buy anything.

_'This wouldn't be so bad if he wasn't the only one who didn't have a gift' _Raph thought defeated as he made his way towards his room.

"Raph, you sick bro? Not like you to run out the room when food is hitting the table," Mikey said walking up to his brother.

The red masked turtle stopped for a moment refusing to look at his younger brother before he replied, "ya Mikey don't worry about it."

He was about to keep walking when Mikey stopped him by putting his hand on his brother's shoulder.

"Caspian thinks the world of you dude and I know that kid wormed his way into your soft spot. No matter what you do for a gift, I know that little merbaby will love it almost as much as he loves chewing on your mask tails," Mikey said before he let his brother go and turned to go make his way back into the kitchen.

The red masked turtle turned and gave his baby brother a grateful smile as before he nodded his head and replied, "ya I know…thanks."

"Any time bro. Now hurry up and get some food before it gets all cold and eaten dude," Mikey added in a teasing tone before disappearing into the kitchen.

Raph couldn't help smirking before his face turned back into his usual scowl. He stomped back towards the kitchen as he hollered, "I know you morons wouldn't touch my bacon without a death wish!"

…

All day long the red masked turtle tried desperately not to think about the whole birthday situation but everywhere he looked, Raph saw his family preparing gifts for the birthday party. Needless to say it was driving him nuts.

Patrol couldn't have come soon enough for Raph as far as he was concerned. Tonight Casey, April and Maya were coming along with them to watch over their beloved city. Upon their arrival the silver haired mermaid was instantly hit with a sense of distress coming from the two oldest brothers.

"May you okay?" Mikey asked his friend when he noticed the blood drain from her face.

"This one is fine but the same thing cannot be said for Leonardo and Raphael," Maya explained.

The orange masked turtle made an annoyed face before he said, "ya sorry about that. Leo has been freaking out ever since he found out Karai was Splinter's daughter and Raph has been freaking out about Caspian's birthday."

Maya looked at her friend on shock before she said, "you know about what happened to Miwa."

"Ya…I heard your conversation with Karai and you kind of accidentally sent me her memories you were reading…I couldn't keep that from Splinter," Mikey explained feeling guilty for telling his family what he knew.

**_FLASHBACK_**

_Splinter walked into the lab where he found his youngest son sitting vigil beside the injured mermaid. The former human's heart ached for the children before him and the ordeal they had just been in. Quietly the father walked over with a tray of food and sat down beside his usually happy child._

_"My son you need to eat," Splinter said putting the tray on the turtle's lap._

_Mikey just stared at the piping hot pizza for a minute before he mumbled, "thanks sensei but I'm not really hungry." _

_The orange masked turtle's stomach betrayed him and grumbled loudly in protest. Mikey pretended he didn't hear it and wrapped both arms around his belly._

_Splinter's frown deepened for a moment before he relaxed his body and replied, "very well I shall not let this delicious triple cheese pizza go to waste."_

_The mutant rat watched in amusement as Mikey looked out of the corner of his eye to see his father about to indulge in his favorite pizza. Splinter had the pizza inches from his mouth when the orange masked turtle suddenly turned his body towards him._

_"WAIT! Uhh…okay I might be a little hungry," the turtle said suddenly trying to play it cool._

_"Very well then," Splinter said passing his son the plate before the small turtle gobbled up his pizza greedily._

_After Mikey finished eating he set the plate down on the tray and looked over to his father with a smile on his face._

_"Thanks sensei," Mikey said._

_"I am your father Michelangelo. You need not thank me for making sure my son is taking care of himself," Splinter replied._

_The former human noticed how uncomfortable his child suddenly was sitting in his seat and how the orange masked turtle suddenly found the ground interesting._

_"My son…your brothers and I cannot help but notice that you have been distant and hesitant since we brought Maya home…tell me what is bothering you?" Splinter asked his son concerned._

_Mikey looked at his father reluctantly before he replied, "I wish I could sensei…but I don't think I know the words to explain it and…I'm kind of scared to tell you."_

_Splinter was taken by surprise by his youngest son's response. Never had his children denied him information because they were frightened by it._

_"Michelangelo please, your family is worried for you my son. Try to tell me what it is," Splinter said sounding like he was begging._

_The orange masked turtle looked up at his father with sad eyes and took a breath before he said, "Sensei…I think I know where your daughter is."_

_For a moment Splinter stopped breathing altogether. That was not what he was expecting to hear from his son at all._

_"I don't understand," Splinter replied in shock._

_"Miwa is Karai…she's been raised by the Shredder to hate you...Maya read her memories to find a weakness to buy herself some time ya know. Well while she was in there she went too far back and found you…well human you and your wife. Maya didn't realize that I was seeing everything that she was seeing," Mikey explained reluctantly._

_"Miwa is alive," Splinter said more to himself._

_Mikey watched in anticipation as his father processed the information until finally the he couldn't bear the silence any longer._

_"Sensei…are you okay?" Mikey whispered getting his father's attention._

_Splinter quickly shook himself from his stupor and nodded his head quickly in an attempt to assure his child that he was alright. The rat had so many questions he wanted to ask but it was Mikey who beat him to the punch._

_"I'm not sure what happened in Japan sensei but I know we'll do everything we can to get your real kid back," Mikey said._

_Yoshi was surprised by the new information but it did not stop him from hearing his son say 'real kid' as if having Miwa back suddenly changed the way he felt about the turtles. It was then he realized that was the reason Michelangelo was so scared to tell him this news._

_"My son what do you mean by my 'real kid'?" Splinter asked making Mikey curl in on himself in his chair._

_The former human moved the tray off Mikey's lap before kneeling in front of the smallest of his sons and placing his hands on his shoulders. _

_He could see the tears filling up those baby blues he loved before he heard Mikey whimper, "I know we aren't your real kids…and we're just pets you bought at the store but…when we bring Miwa back home you'll still love us right?"_

_Yoshi was stunned, his heart breaking that his youngest would think such things. He wasted no time wrapping his arms protectively around his sobbing child. Mikey hugged his father back just as tightly as Splinter held him._

_"Michelangelo listen to me and listen well. You are MY son and no force in the universe will ever make me think otherwise. Do you understand me?" Splinter said sternly._

_He felt the small turtle nod his head before he turned to the door way to see the shocked faces of his other three sons._

_"That goes for ALL of my sons," Splinter added before the other three turtles came over and quickly found themselves wrapped in their father's arms along with their youngest brother._

**_END OF FLASHBACK_**

"This one understands," Maya said with a gentle smile on her face.

"This one will also do her best to help bring Miwa back to her true father. This one thinks she was going to demand answers before you rescued this one," the mermaid explained.

"You're the best," Mikey replied as he reached over and squeezed her hand.

"This one knows," Maya replied in a cheeky tone as she squeezed his hand back.

Yoh, love birds. Let's move," Raph hollered before he started following Leo out of the layer with the others.

The group of teens quickly made their way to the surface listening to Casey and Donny argue about who would partner up with April.

"What could possibly make you think that April would want to be paired with you anyway?" Donny asked with a sneer.

"Maybe because I'm not a complete dork," Casey replied casually.

"This one is quite certain that Donatello is not a whale penis," Maya piped in innocently.

"Thank you Maya," Donny said over his shoulder.

"You sure Gidget? Looks like a big limp noodle from where I'm standing," the human boy replied with a smirk on his face.

Mikey had just enough time to pull Maya out of the way before Donny tackled Casey to the ground. The pair were soon wrestling on the ground much to the annoyance of the group.

"Knock it off you guys this is stupid!" April screamed making both boys freeze on the spot to see the angry glares of their team mates.

"But…" Donny tried to say but Maya cut him off.

"This one very much agrees. There is no use in fighting when this one has already claimed April as her partner tonight. Its girl night," the mermaid explained wrapping her arms around her pod sister possessively with a big smile on her face.

April's face lit up just as brightly as she returned the hug before she added, "looks like you two will just have to find somebody else to try and impress."

The two teens had the decency to look ashamed of themselves as the girls walked off before turning to Leo, Raph and Mikey who were all still staring at them. Leo and Raph looked at each other before both brothers smiled and turned back to Casey and Donny.

"We'll take Mikey," they said at the same time surprising not only the obnoxious pair but also their baby brother.

"Seriously you guys wanna work with me?" Mikey said looking genuinely excited.

"Considering the alternatives I think you're safer being the minus in our A team tonight," Raph teased knowing his brother would take a few minutes to realize he'd just been burned.

"ALRIGHT BEST NIGHT EVER! This is gonna be…hey not nice Raph I'm telling Maya!" Mikey said before chasing after his older brother.

Leo glared at the pair sitting on the ground for a moment before he said, "perhaps tonight's training for you guys is to learn how to work together as a team instead of acting like a couple of love sick rivals."

With that the blue masked turtle walked away leaving Casey and Donny to go out on patrol together and hopefully pull their heads out of their asses.

…

It didn't take Leo long to catch up to his younger brothers who were waiting for him on top of a building. It was Raph who turned to him when he noticed his arrival.

"You sure it's a good idea leaving those two numbskulls to work together?" Raph asked.

Leo nodded his head before he replied, "at some point they need to figure out that they're playing on the same team."

With that the trio took off to patrol their side of the city.

After a few hours of finding completely nothing Leo, Raph and Mikey stopped on top of one of the apartment buildings to take a break. Mikey was lying like a star fish on the ground complaining about being bored while Leo tried to contact the others.

Needing a little space from his brothers Raph walked to the other side of the building. He couldn't get the whole present thing out of his mind. He knew it was a ridiculous thing to think about but the same time hadn't he just vowed to make this kid's birthday special?

Raph huffed to himself before he looked over New York City from his perch on the building. It was then he suddenly saw it, his inspiration.

_'No matter what you do for a gift, I know that little merbaby will love it almost as much as he loves chewing on your mask tails'_

As Mikey's words played in his mind a smile grew on his face. He knew what he could offer that none of his brothers had thought to provide him.

…

Once again everyone was gathered but this time instead of grieving they were celebrating. The feeling of joy and happiness was almost overwhelming to the non-merfolk present at the birthday.

Mikey wasn't kidding when he said there would be a huge feast. Massive fish were offered to the tiny merbaby, most ten times the size of him. What was even more shocking was the fact that the kid ate a whole small shark to himself.

For the mutants and the humans it was like being at an Italian house on Sunday dinner where they were constantly offered food and weren't allowed to refuse it. Even Mikey was having a hard time keeping up to Maya when it came to eating, even though she was in her human form. The orange masked turtle couldn't help but be impressed by the girl's bottomless pit of a stomach and her ability to consume it like it was her last meal on Earth.

_'Something wrong Mikey?' _Maya asked through their link when she noticed him staring at her in her.

The turtle took a moment to stare at the residue of the girl's meal that covered her face and the before he replied, "you got a little something on your face."

Before Maya could do anything Mikey quickly leaned in before licking the side of her head from chin to hairline. The mermaid had a slightly grossed out look on her face before she looked at Mikey with an annoyed expression.

_'Oh it's on now' _the girl said before she tackled Mikey to the ground and licked his entire face.

The turtles, Casey and April watched the pair along with a human disguised Dylan and Isla. While the boys looked more or less weirded out by the pair, the girls couldn't help but find them completely and utterly adorable.

"I want what they have," April sighed as she laid her head on Isla's shoulder.

"You want somebody to lick the side of your face?" Raph asked.

"If it's a good lickin' you need Red I'm your man," Casey teased from beside the red masked turtle earning himself an annoyed look from the girl.

"That's not what I meant you dummies…Mikey literally just watched her devour a giant fish and he still looks at her like she is the most beautiful creature to grace the planet," April explained.

The boys turned their gaze from April to the strange couple. They were both laughing as Mikey started cleaning Maya's face, both staring at each other as if they were the only people in the room. It was true love at its finest.

"This one wishes you could hear what he thinks about her," Isla said with a happy smile on her face.

"Oh ya," Donny said looking over with interest.

The woman nodded her head before she said, "this one is amazed how Michelangelo can know such beautiful words in his mind but when he speaks…"

"You are just like the most awesome….you know girl…since like stuff," they overheard Mikey say to Maya before the mermaid's face lit up like a Christmas tree.

Isla and April took one look at the mind blown, jaw dropped expressions of the turtles and Casey before they burst out laughing.

"I don't get…" Leo said shaking his head.

Raph could only stare bug eyed while nodding his head in agreement with his big brother.

"How does he do it?" Casey asked in absolute shock.

"He's an idiot making us all look like idiots!" Donny said on the verge of sounding hysterical.

Isla took that moment to wrap her arms around both Donny and Casey before she said in a cheerful tone, "actually it is you two that make you look like idiots."

Raph couldn't help but chuckle until he felt something tugging on his leg. He looked down to see all 75 cm of the birthday boy himself.

"Ra," Caspian said holding up his arms to Raph.

The red masked turtle was more than happy to scoop the human looking merbaby up into his massive arms before blowing a raspberry on the baby's belly. It didn't take long for the now twelve month old to find Raph's mask tails and start chewing away on them like they were his own personal chew toy.

"Seriously do you not feed this kid," Raph said to Isla.

The mermaid glared affectionately at the turtle before a hand on her shoulder made her turn her attention to Splinter. The former human smiled at her affectionately before nodding his head in the direction of the lair.

"We have a surprise for you," Splinter said causing the mermaid to stare at Splinter curiously.

The former human smiled before leading his family away from the birthday party and towards the place Splinter and his sons called home. As soon as they entered the lair Isla gasped in surprise when she saw the beautifully wrapped packages in the living room. Without a word Raph handed Caspian back to his mother before Isla and Maya walked over and knelt in front of the gifts.

One by one she and Caspian ripped open the presents to reveal the rocking horse, the piggy bank, the blanket, the story as well as skates from Casey and a build a bear turtle from April.

"This is so wonderful…thank you," Isla said overwhelmed by the generosity of her land pod.

The sound of someone clearing their throat made Isla turn her attention to Raph who had three small gifts in his hands. The red masked turtle seemed reluctant to approach them but soon walked over before he knelt in front of Isla and Caspian looking nervous.

"Look I know that more than anybody I've been the biggest jerk about trusting anybody outside this family…this is I guess my way of saying welcome to the family," Raph explained before handing Isla two of the boxes and passing the last one to a surprised Maya.

"I know it's the kid's birthday but you guys all should have one," the turtle explained as they opened their boxes and gasped.

Inside each box was a mask that looked just like the ones the turtle's wore. Maya's was a gray colour that reminded her of a storm cloud. Isla's was turquoise and Caspian's was a similar shade of green to the turtles' skin tone.

Isla was speechless as she looked between Raph and the masks. This was so much more then pieces of cloth to them, this was proof that they were accepted into the land pod as family.

"If it's okay…I'd like to be Caspian's sensei when he gets a little older…teach him how to not be a bone head like me," Raph offered hesitantly.

The mermaid could only nod her head as tears began to stream down her face before she threw her arms around Raph's neck.

"This one could not think of a finer gift then to have her son trained by one of Splinter's gifted ninjas. This one could feel that you and Caspian were connected," Isla said finally making Raph blush.

Caspian's face lit up as Raph put his mask on, instinctively the baby but the mask tails into his mouth and happily sucked on them. Maya reached over and wrapped the turtle into a hug which he happily returned before Raph looked up to his family. Leo and Donny seemed impressed while Mikey and Splinter seemed to have a knowingly proud smile on their faces.

Splinter watched the mother and son's happiness with warmth but it also pained him as well. Seeing them reminded him of what he had lost, reminded him of his daughter who he knew was still out there being raised by his enemy.

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All done for now hoping to get into some more M&amp;M romance *fan girl squeal* Anyway don't forget to review the lady!


	28. Chapter 28

Hello readers hope you are all getting excited for the holidays. No snow here this here so Christmas is going to be a bit of a bummer on my end. Oh well on with the stories!

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Karai once again found herself staring out the window in her father's thrown room. The teen sighed before she looked down at the only picture of her mother that she owned. Karai stared into the woman's eyes hopelessly looking for answers.

_'What happened to you?' _Karai thought in frustration.

The girl couldn't help thinking back to the mermaid and what that thing had told her that night about her past.

_'This one is very curious…you say you wish to bleed this one dry to make your father powerful. Yet the man who you wish to make powerful is not only not your father but in fact the very same man that took your precious mother away'_

"Why did you have to disappear before I could get answers to my questions?" Karai hissed to the picture before a sound caught her attention.

She looked up to see none other than Shredder walking towards her with a giant tiger following after him.

"Hello daughter," Shredder greeted and for some reason it sent chills down her spine.

"How was your trip?" the girl asked walking towards him.

"I found what I was looking for," he replied turning his gaze to the giant mutant Tiger.

Karai stared at the newcomer before Shredder said, "Karai meet Tigerclaw…I have brought him back here to become my new second in command."

The girl's eyes turned into saucers as she looked between Tigerclaw and Shredder before she cried, "What! That position is reserved for me."

"You have not been deserving of such a title daughter. After all you have yet to bring me the turtles and even allowed them to take a precious power source from your possession," the foot clan leader said making Karai's head shoot up at him.

"There is very little that happens here in my absence that I do not know about Karai. It is a shame you lost the creature…it would have made me more powerful and allowed you to be taken seriously as a warrior instead of a silly girl playing a man's game," Shredder said with a sneer in a voice that made Karai clench her fists with rage.

"Now go with Tigerclaw and let a true hunter teach you how to catch a prey," Shredder said giving Tigerclaw a nod.

"You will have the heads of your enemies on a platter my lord," Tigerclaw promised before he bowed to his master. Karai bowed her head silently before she and the large Tiger left for their mission.

As they left Karai couldn't help thinking, _'Would my father really think less of me because I am a woman?' _

…

Splinter smiled fondly as he hugged Aquarius before turning to Neptune. The former human was almost hesitant to approach his new friend knowing that the large man would want to hug him.

"Relax Splinter this one will not crush you," Neptune teased as Splinter approached him.

"Forgive me Neptune but I sometimes think you forget your strength," the rat replied with a smile.

The merman couldn't help the guilty expression on his face before he held out his hand to his friend. Splinter happily returned the gesture before shaking the hand of the massive merman affectionately.

"It is good to have clan brothers and sisters again…I will miss you both," Splinter said.

"You will not be far from our thoughts pod brother," Aquarius said fondly.

Neptune who had been quiet looked like he was about to become a blubbering mess as his eye filled with tears and his lip trembled.

"I promised myself I wouldn't cry," the man said before he pulled his annoyed mate and Splinter into a bone crushing hug.

The teens couldn't help but chuckle at the sight of Master Splinter being hugged to death by a massive weeping merman.

"Our father is an over sized cuddle fish," Maya said.

Dylan and Isla could only nod in agreement in their human forms with an annoyed expression on both their faces that matched the one on Maya's.

"It's going to be pretty quiet without you guys around," Leo commented.

Dylan looked over at Leo with a smirk before he patted him on the back and said, "don't worry we'll be in touch."

"You better," the blue masked turtle replied returning the smile.

The merman was truly going to miss the eldest of the turtles. Talking with him was like having his big brother back in his life. As much as it was unnerving to meet someone so similar to Bo, it was also comforting to feel that familiar presence again.

"Children come to your father and mother…it is time to part ways," Aquarius called before the teenagers and the young mother carrying her child walked over towards the pod.

Trident quickly pulled his daughter into a hug before kissing her on the head as he held her protectively to his chest. After he let her go he took a moment to hug Isla and Caspian, holding them just as tightly as he held Maya.

"It pains this one that you will not be coming back with us," Trident said solemnly.

"There is much we still must do here," Isla replied.

Aquarius smiled gently before she pulled both girls into her arms and hugged them to her chest.

"We will check in as often as we can," the mermaid said before she kissed both girls on the head.

Next it was Dylan who wasted no time pulling his baby sister into a bone crushing hug but he remained silent as he held Maya in his arms.

"This one will miss you as well brother," Maya whispered knowing Dylan had a hard time expressing emotions.

After Maya, Isla and Caspian all had one last moment alone with their family, the pod disappeared below the waves. Maya stood and stared at the calm waters long after the last of the merfolk disappeared. Michelangelo silently stood by her side and gently pulled her hand into his before giving it a squeeze.

The mermaid managed a small smile before Mikey wrapped an arm around her shoulders and led her away from the water towards where everyone was.

…

It was a few days after the pod left and the whole school was buzzing with excitement about something. Maya could feel the excitement buzzing down every hall they walked down and it was making the hair on her arms tingle.

"What is causing such emotions of anticipation and anxiety?" Maya asked April as they walked to class.

April looked over in surprise for a moment before she replied, "I forgot you only just started this year. Every year the school has a dance…uh a big party basically for the whole school. Boys will usually ask girls that they like if they'll go as dates."

"Oh this one understands now…it is the annual celebration of the mating dance among humans," Maya said proudly.

April had literally no idea how to reply to that before Casey appeared giving his usual smirk as he approached them.

"Sup ladies. You guys here the school is having a shindig?" Casey asked casually.

"Yes we know," April replied slightly annoyed since this was the third time she had been asked and it wasn't even first period yet.

Casey seemed to ignore it as he said, "well I was thinking if you wanted-"

"If this is you asking me to be your date Casey Jones you can think again," April said sharply cutting the boy off.

The boy looked a little put off by the response before he replied, "well who's askin' ya Red? I was asking Gidget here if she wanted to go."

"What?" both girls said in surprise.

Casey stared at the pair before he gave them an unimpressed look and explained, "Seeing as how this is the pint size wonder's first dance I figured she'd have more fun going with a friend since Mikey can't go with her for obvious reasons and it'll keep the goons off her back."

He then turned to Maya and asked, "What do ya say Gidge, wanna be my wing lady?"

"This one does not even know how to dance," Maya replied hesitantly.

"So what? We'll go raid the food table, make up our own ridiculous dance moves and play cards on the bleachers," Casey replied.

Maya gave the boy a big smile before she replied, "This one would very much enjoy that and would love to go as your wing lady…what's a wing lady?"

"Means you help me look good in front of the ladies by telling them how awesome a date I am," the teen replied.

"Oh is this a mating technique of some kind?" Maya asked innocently.

"Uh…sure," Casey replied.

April watched as the pair spoke and couldn't help the heaviness she felt in her gut when Casey asked Maya to be his date. Something about this really bothered her and she didn't like it one little bit. Quietly she walked ahead to get to class leaving Casey and Maya to make their plans for the dance.

It didn't take the pair long to notice that April had already left and quickly ran to class to catch up to their red headed friend.

They managed to get to class to class on time by the skin of their teeth. Maya quickly took her seat next to April before she noticed the look on the girl's face.

"Are you alright?" Maya whispered in concern.

April looked over before she smiled and nodded her head. Maya was about to press further when her body suddenly jolted in her desk. The mermaid couldn't help screaming in surprise when the entire room started shaking violently.

Just as sudden as it started it stopped leaving the classroom of students and teacher silent, confused and shocked.

"What just happened?" one of the boys in class asked looking visibly shaken.

"I-I'm not sure. Is everyone alright?" the teacher responded.

Slowly everyone nodded their heads and tried to calm down before the teacher tried to go on with the day's lesson.

…

That night April, Casey and Maya decided to do some patrolling of their own before they went to the lair. They went from building to building to see if they could find anything that could possibly explain why earthquakes were happening in New York City.

April stopped on a building when she heard something and waited for the others to catch up to her.

"What's up Red?" Casey asked.

"There's something going on down there," she replied pointing down into the alley at the side of the building.

The three looked down to see Krang robots going through what looked like a giant purple triangle.

"Are those the little brain people you told me about?" Casey asked.

"Yup those are the krang," April replied.

"It appears that they're going through a portal," Maya said.

April nodded her head before she replied, "I think you're right. Let's see if we can get any closer."

The three of them quickly climbed down and spied on the alien creatures to see if they could find anything out about their plans. Silently they watched as the creatures all disappeared through the portal.

"What are they up to?" April asked out loud.

"Dunno Red but I'm gonna go find out," Casey said before he jumped up and shot off like a rocket towards the Krang.

"Casey wait…ugh," the red head said before she turned to Maya.

"Better go after him or you're going solo to the dance," April joked to the smaller girl.

Maya only smiled before she changed her upper body so that she was mermaid from the waist up. After the girls wasted no time getting up to go rescue Casey from getting himself killed by the aliens.

The three managed to fight off the krang enough to get them to retreat into the portal before they were alone in the alley. April pushed a button on the portal device turning it off and making it drop to the ground.

"We should get this to Donny he'll know what to do," April said quickly picking it up.

"Why are we not going to an actual lab?" Casey asked.

"Do you honestly think an actual scientist would take teenagers seriously if we told them," Maya commented.

"Besides Donny knows way more ahead then those scientists anyway. He's cool like that," April added enjoying the slight look of jealousy she found on Casey's face.

…

When they got to the lair April quickly made her way into the lab telling everyone they had found something important. As they did Casey trailed back pulling Mikey along with him unnoticed by the others.

"Mikey can I talk to you about something quick bro to bro," Casey whispered.

"Ya man what's up?" Mikey asked looking concerned.

"Well uh…there's this dance thing at school, and I kind of asked Maya if she wanted to go with me…and she said yes," Casey said quickly.

Mikey seemed to look distant for a minute before he mumbled, "isn't that kind of a boyfriend girlfriend kinda thing…I didn't think you guys were like that…"

"No god Mikey no man just like friends. Look I was gonna ask April and she was basically ready to turn me down…I dunno man I think she was kidding but I didn't wanna get rejected so I played it cool. I asked Maya cause I figured it was better she go to her first dance with someone she trusted then some jerk looking for more than a dance. Anyway I'd rather you hear it from me that I asked her…we cool?" Casey quickly explained looking a little nervous.

Mikey seemed to look relieved and gave the human a bright smile before nodding his head enthusiastically.

"Shell ya we're cool dude, I dig a guy whose straight up with his bros. As long as Maya is going with you I know she'll be safe," Mikey replied holding out his fist for a bump.

Casey smiled back before returning the fist bump and said, "Thanks man, I promise nothing will happen past looking ridiculous on the dance floor."

"Just make sure to sneak me some goodies. I hear those dance things have a hell of a buffet table," Mikey said before they started walking towards the lab.

"Done deal bro," the boy replied before they stepped inside Donny's domain just in time to see April turning on the portal device.

Donny looked at it in amazement before he said," wow the Krang are always one step ahead."

"I wonder if this is causing the earthquakes we felt earlier," the purple masked turtle wondered out loud.

"You felt it as well?" Maya asked.

"Oh ya probably way more then you guys did. Mikey was walking lopsided for a while," Raph replied.

"We should test it," Donny decided.

"Oh no Donny I don't think that's a good idea," Leo immediately objected.

"Why not?" the turtle asked.

"SHOT GUN!" Casey shouted as he approached the portal.

Raph quickly stopped him before he could jump through and said, "You're crazy, nuts, out of your mind."

Before Casey could reply the red masked turtle shoved he human out of his way and said, "I'm going first."

Before anyone could stop him Raph jumped through the portal followed by Casey cursing the turtle's name.

"No!" Leo shouted.

Maya glanced over at Mikey with a mischievous smirk to see Mikey returning the smile before he held out his hand to her. Without a second thought the mermaid grabbed the turtle's hand and before anyone knew it team M&amp;M ran through the portal at full speed.

"SERIOUSLY?!" Leo cried furious at his younger siblings before he sighed in defeat.

"Alright let's go," the blue masked turtle said before he, Donny and April went through the portal to the mysteries beyond the other side.

* * *

All done for now huzzah! Anyway if I don't update tomorrow Merry Christmas to all and to all a good fanfic lol Don't forget to review the lady!


	29. Chapter 29

Happy New Year everyone! Hope you all have a wonderful year, we'll start it off with a new chapter HUZZAH!

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The turtles and humans couldn't believe what they were seeing. Upon entering through the portal they quickly found themselves surrounded by portals going down a dark hallway.

"Well I think it's safe to say we aren't in New York anymore," Raph said looking weirded out by their new surroundings.

All of them stared into the different portals and were blown away by the strange places that they found on the other side.

"Are these…other lands?" Maya asked.

"Sort of…they look like other dimensions. It looks like we stumbled on some kind of Krang portal subway line," Donny explained.

The purple masked turtle was becoming excited by the idea that they were exploring not just outside of their planet but their universe! That was until he realized that the portal had closed after he had walked through it.

"Uh guys we have a problem," Donny said getting everyone's attention.

"I don't know how to open the portal from this side," the turtle explained sounding slightly panicked.

Before anyone started to freak out Leo quickly went into leader mode and said, "We'll just have to find another way out, right now we can't stay here. If we don't keep moving the Krang will find us in no time. Everyone start looking for a portal to get us home."

Everyone quickly started looking through the portal doors to find the one that would get them back to Earth. If it wasn't for the fact that they were on Krang territory the teens would have all found this both amazing and amusing. Some of the world's they found looked absolutely ridiculous.

"April check this out," Donny said when he found a world covered in glistening ice.

"Wow it's beautiful," she commented making the turtle happy that he could show her something that could make her smile so bright.

"Check this out Red," Casey called over.

Donny watched as April quickly went over to Casey without batting an eye, much to the turtle's annoyance. He huffed as he followed after them with an annoyed expression on his face.

That quickly changed though when he looked inside the portal and saw…himself, his brothers and his friends all looking really strange.

"Wow…we look like dorks," Mikey commented casually.

Maya stared inside and couldn't help looking a little irritated at her appearance in this world. The girl she was staring at had wild crimped bleach blond hair covered in coral, star fish and sea weed. Her drastically larger chest was covered by nothing but seashells and…was she wearing a hula skirt? The expression on the girl's blank face suggested that she wasn't very smart. The turtle's kept her walking in the middle of them as if she might wander away on her own and get lost if they didn't.

Casey couldn't help chuckling at the mermaid's reaction to her counterpart. Wanting to get a rise out of the girl he teased, "Lookin' good in those shells Gidget."

"Ya...shells," Mikey said staring through the portal earning himself a glare from the small mermaid.

The girl noticed Mikey staring at the other slim beautiful mermaid with large breasts before looking down at her own body thinking about the vast difference between this woman's mermaid form and her own.

Feeling angry about the whole thing Maya smacked the back of both Casey and Mikey's heads before she crossed her arms and said, "This one _refuses _to acknowledge that that walking ditzy poacher target Barbie is supposed to be a mermaid let alone this one."

"I wouldn't get to upset about it May, it just another universe's idea of what you'd look like. Trust me Mikey would rather have the Maya he has no over that one any day." April said trying to comfort her friend.

"That supposed to be April?" Raph asked in amusement making the red head turn to see her other dimensional counterpart.

The girl had her lips pressed together tightly as she started the woman's large bust and perfect figure being extenuated by her tight obnoxiously yellow jumpsuit. Subconsciously the teen looked town at her all around smaller figure.

April couldn't help growling when she heard Donny mumble, "Nice jumpsuit."

"May we agree that the universe had a horrible sense of humor?" Maya asked when she noticed her friend's emotions spike.

"Yes. Yes we can," April replied in an icy tone.

Leo looked away from the portal when he felt drawn to look inside another. What he saw shocked him.

"Guys look! I found dimension X," Leo said getting everyone's attention.

"Man this place is melting my brain," Mikey said before April covered his mouth and hushed him to stop talking.

"I think I sense something," she whispered.

The turtles were immediately on guard with their weapons with Casey and April. Maya quickly changed her upper body so that she could fight in her natural form. All was quiet for a moment before suddenly several members of the Krang shot out and started attacking the group.

The teens seemed to be holding their own pretty well but the Krang were too many. It took nothing for the aliens to send them all flying.

"Split up!" Leo shouted before the group all went in different directions.

Mikey and Maya were covering each other's backs pretty well while Donny covered April. Leo, Raph and Casey were fighting more independently but keeping an eye on each other's back.

One of the Krang were about to shoot at Maya when Mikey quickly pushed the mermaid out of the way taking the hit for her. The smallest of the turtles went flying through one of the portals.

"Mikey!" Leo and Raph cried when they noticed their youngest brother had disappeared and quickly flew in after him.

Just after they fell through the portal disappeared trapping Donny, April, Casey and Maya. The group all turned to a Krang holding a remote, the creature smiled before it threw the remote through another portal and flew off.

…

Leo, Raph and Mikey all fell through the portal screaming before landing in a dumpster on top of each other. The blue masked turtle was the first to recover instantly turning to his youngest brother to make sure the shot he took wasn't serious.

"You okay Mikey?" he asked running a hand over his brother's plastron.

Mikey winced before he replied, "ya…whatever those things were they hit me with…they make Raph's punches feel like I'm getting punched by a baby."

If the orange masked turtle didn't already have a huge bruise on his chest Raph would've smacked him upside the head.

"If you're fine enough to mouth off like that then you can get the hell off of me," the red masked turtle growled.

The three brothers quickly climbed out of the dumpster to see that they had returned to their dimension.

"Come on you guys. We have to find a way to get the other's home," Leo said jumping out of the dumpster quickly followed by his younger brothers.

"That's gonna be hard considering the smart turtle is the one we gotta get home," Raph replied.

Leo wanted to retort but before he could, they quickly found themselves at the mercy of yet another earthquake.

"We also need to find a way to stop these shakes," the blue masked turtle commented.

Mikey and Raph nodded their heads in agreement before they were suddenly attacked by gunfire. The three turtles quickly took a defensive stance ready to face their attacker. They were shocked when they saw that their opponent was a giant tiger.

"What the hell do you want Tony the tiger?" Raph growled.

"My name is Tigerclaw," the giant tiger replied in a deep voice.

"I knew it! I was totally gonna name him Tigerclaw!" Mikey yelled not helping their situation.

Tigerclaw pulled out his gun once more and aimed it at them before he said, "I will say this only once. Summon your rat master."

"No way fur ball," Raph replied.

With a growl the tiger began firing on the turtles who all managed to dodge the attacks easily. After just barely managing to dodge a shot aimed at his head, Mikey jumped up on a set of fire escape stairs on the side of an apartment building.

"Bros! We got to get to higher ground!" the orange masked turtle shouted before he quickly climbed up to the roof followed by the other turtles.

When they got to the top they all looked around to make sure the coast was clear before Raph asked, "What now?"

Before Leo could answer Tigerclaw quickly pounced onto the roof. With a mighty roar the massive beast kicked Leo one way and pushed Raph another. The two brothers quickly got up to attack Tigerclaw but were shocked to see him holding their baby brother over the roof by his ankle.

A terrified Raph looked over to his older brother ready to follow his lead only to see that Leo was just was scared and lost as he was.

"Now that I have your attention call your master," Tigerclaw growled.

…

Casey, April, Donny and Maya managed to find a hiding spot until the krang disappeared through another one of the portals. None of them dared to even let out a breath until they had all disappeared before getting up.

_'What are we to do now?_' Maya asked.

"I dunno ask Gap tooth he's the expert," Casey said staring at Donny.

"Gap tooth? Have you looked in the mirror lately cave mouth!" Donny replied furious.

"Guys enough! Come over here and check this out," April said in an irritated tone.

The two boys went over to where the girls were to see them staring into a portal. It was full of krang.

"This must be another part of dimension X," April commented.

Maya stared at what the Krang were doing and it appeared that they were shoving some poor creature through a portal. Her eyes widened in surprise when she recognized where they were shoving the creature into.

_'There is another way home'_ Maya said pointing out the portal to the others.

"No problem Gidget. We'll just sneak by _all _the alien robots and the giant worm," Casey replied sarcastically.

"Don't look now but I think they saw us," April said before the four teens quickly found themselves surrounded by Krang members with guns.

"To surrender now would be wise," one of the robots said.

"Resistance will end in your demise which would be less wise," another beside him said.

"Play along," Donny whispered before he put his hands over his head followed by the others to show surrender.

"That which is known as Krang will feed that which is known as krang's enemy to that which is known as the krathachigan," one of the other Krang said before leading the group through the portal into Dimension X.

The teens were silent as they were forced to go through the portal that took them to New York City. When they went through it was a great relief to them all to breath in the familiar smoggy air of their home.

"You will keep on marching from the place you are to the place you are not yet," the Krang instructed as they continued to lead them down the subway tunnel.

"Donny do you know what this thing is they intend to feed us to?" Maya whispered to the purple masked turtle beside her.

"To be honest I'm not really sure what it is," the turtle admitted.

"Well we could wait around to be eaten or we make a move," Casey replied before firing up his home made Taser before using on the Krang's arm that had a gun aimed at him.

April, Maya and Donny quickly followed the boy's lead taking out the Krang that surrounded them before running down the tunnel. They turned and went through a door on their right that led into an abandoned subway line before Casey used a stick to keep the door shut.

Slowly and cautiously the group went down the subway line looking for a way out. Casey took this time go walk beside Maya. He knew the mermaid was anxious about the whole dance thing and Mikey. Now that the danger was at bay it seemed like a good time to bring it up to the mermaid.

"So I talked to Mikey before we left," Casey said to the mermaid who looked up at him surprised.

_'What did he say?'_ Maya asked anxiously.

"After I explained everything he said he was cool with it as long as I made sure you enjoyed yourself and got you home in one piece," the boy explained.

Maya smiled as she sighed in relief. She had been terrified that Mikey would get the wrong idea of her friend taking her to observe the ceremony of the mating dance.

"What are you guys going on about?" Donny asked when he heard his baby brother's name come up.

April who had been listening knew exactly what they were talking and couldn't be more irritated by the subject.

"Oh didn't you know? Casey is taking Maya to a dance as his _date_," the girl explained in an annoyed tone.

Donny looked a little surprised, he and his brothers knew about school dances and things like that. They also knew that those things were done with boys asking girls to be their girlfriends and use the dance as an excuse to have a date.

"Mikey was okay with this?" Donny asked genuinely shocked.

"Donny don't get the wrong idea dude, sometimes people go as friends cause they ain't dating nobody but wanna have someone to go with. Better to go with Maya then some jerk tryin' to get lucky. Red is just mad that I didn't ask her first," Casey explained before giving the furious redhead a smug smirk.

April's eyes widened before she crossed her arms and in a smug tone said, "Jones you could take Donny to the dance for all I care okay, I'm not jealous!"

"Never said you were jealous _O'Neill, _I said you were mad. Now that you mention it though you do look a little green," the boy replied in the same tone.

The girl opened her mouth to reply but instead growled before walking off ahead of the group. Maya quickly ran after her friend not wanting her to get too far ahead of them and also clear the air.

_'April please wait'_ Maya said as she caught up to her friend.

The other girl did indeed stop allowing her friend to catch up with her with an annoyed expression on her face.

_'So it's true then. This situation greatly bothers you' _Maya said bluntly.

April clenched her firsts before she replied, "it's not a big deal."

_'This one wishes very much that you would have told her'_ the mermaid replied.

"The worst part is that I don't even know why it's bothering me so much. I mean I feel kind of stupid that I thought he was asking me instead but Casey knocked me off my high horse a bit and I'm over it," the girl explained.

_'Yet here we are' _Maya said knowingly.

"I don't understand why it makes me so mad when that he's paying more attention to you right now; Or that my stomach sinks every time he offers to walk you home after school," April said covering her face with her hands in embarrassment.

"I'm sorry," April mumbled through her hands.

Maya gently pried the girl's hands from her face before she said '_this one is not mad at you April. You are one of this one's beloved sisters and it is understandable that you are unsure of your feelings.'_

The red head huffed with an annoyed expression on her face before she said, "Why did it have to be him? Why couldn't it be someone like Donny?"

_'Dear sister we do not get to choose our one. Our one is simply the one who is best for us'_ Maya explained before pulling April into a warm embrace.

April quickly returned the hug before she said, "no matter who my one is I could never love them as much as I love my sisters."

The human girl tightened her hold on the mermaid before she heard the boys catching up to them and pulled away.

"Everything cool?" Casey asked.

Maya just smiled at him and nodded her head before a sound echoed through the tunnel that made a chill run down their backs.

"What is that noise?" April asked.

"I don't know but it's worse than the sound of Mikey eating a pizza," Donny said earning him a belly smack curtesy of Maya.

The group carefully continued down the tunnel until they were in a room full of Krang and a giant space worm. They watched as the robots hooked something up to the beast before an ooze that looked like mutagen came out of it and into a giant container.

"Are they milking it?" Casey asked looking grossed out.

"Looks like it and it looks like mutagen," Donny replied looking fascinated.

One of the worms became aggressive and slammed its body on the ground causing the entire room to start shaking violently.

_'This is what is causing the earthquakes'_ Maya commented.

April had been watching the mutagen milking process with disgust when she felt something tickling her leg. At first she thought it was Casey but when she looked down she realized it was a little space worm. The girl squealed as she kicked it off getting the attention of the Krang.

"Release the Kraathatrogons!" One of the Krang bots commanded.

The four teens could only look on in horror as the giant space worm started coming towards them.

"I'm gonna need a bigger hockey stick for that thing," Casey commented before they all took off running.

…

Leo, Raph and Mikey could only sit helplessly and wait for their father to save them. It was clear to see that the pacing Tiger was quickly losing his patience.

"Time is up, where is your master?" Tigerclaw demanded.

"Just wait he'll come and kick your stumpy tail right up your stripped-"

"ENOUGH!" Tigerclaw roared cutting off Raph.

"Your lives end now," he said before he started pushing the three brothers towards the furnace.

The mutant tiger stopped when he felt a ninja star graze his cheek and looked up to see none other than Splinter himself.

"Release my sons NOW!" Splinter demanded with a deadly expression aimed at the beast who dared to try and harm his children.

Tigerclaw smirked at his opponent before he began shooting at the mutant rat. Splinter quickly dodged before jumping to the building where Tigerclaw was and began throwing rocks at him. Tigerclaw took every hit before going at Splinter with his blade, the former human quickly dodged the blade as if he teleported before attacking his opponent head on.

Leo, Raph and Mikey cheered their father on from where they were held captive. They were happy to see that their father was easily winning against this enemy. They were even more confident of their father's victory when Splinter had Tiger claw at blade point with his own sword at the edge of the roof.

"Now we shall see if cats do in fact always land on their feet," Splinter said.

Before he could push the cat over to his doom Tigerclaw yelled, "NOW!"

Karai who had been in hiding shot a dart at the rat which hit its mark in Splinter's neck. Splinter had just enough time to take the dart from his neck before he dropped to the ground feeling weaker by the minute.

"SPLINTER!" the three turtles shouted.

The former human watched as out from the shadows came his daughter that he thought he had lost forever.

"Miwa," he said before he succumbed to the darkness.

"What did you do to him?" Raph demanded.

"A mild poison. However if not treated quickly then it will kill him so I suggest you cooperate with us," Karai explained walking towards them.

"Shredder wants them alive but he didn't say in what condition," the girl said pulling out her blade.

"Shall we have some fun?" she asked with a wicked smirk on her face before Tigerclaw caught her arm.

"They are to be in good condition for Master Shredder," Tigerclaw growled before letting the girl go.

The turtles were so shocked by the turn of events that they didn't notice their father use the last of his strength to grab a ninja star and release his sons from their ropes.

"Boys run!" Splinter commanded before Tigerclaw kicked Splinter to the ground.

Leo quickly shoved Karai out of the way before going to his father's side. Mikey went to his other side and together they lifted their sensei off the ground. Raph covered them before throwing a smoke bomb on the ground and together they disappeared into the night.

Karai quickly stood up before throwing her sword and screaming in rage that she had failed to retrieve them yet again.

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Well that's all for now, until next time readers don't forget to review!


	30. Chapter 30

Hello readers! I have a confession I'm editing at night again, I'm sorry but I wanted to post before bed. If you find errors feel free to let me know and I'll go back and fix it. Enjoy!

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Leo, Raph and Mikey carried their father back to the lair as quickly as they could without jostling him too much. They three turtles carefully brought him to his room and laid him on his bed before looking at each other hoping one of them would come up with a plan.

"We need to think of something fast I think the poison is spreading," Leo said trying to stay calm.

Raph looked terrified before he suddenly replied, "Maya's blood! Didn't the Brainiac get some of Maya's blood before Karai took her?"

"To risky bro. Maya only commanded the blood to listen to Donny," Mikey explained sadly wishing that it could be that simple.

Raph growled before he roared, "Where's a freaking mermaid or a genius mutant turtle when you need one!"

"We left them behind in some inter dimensional bus terminal to be captured by the Krang! So if you don't mind, less freaking out and more thinking of a way to actually save somebody today. Alright!" Leo yelled back frustrated.

The red masked turtle hung his head in shame before he replied, "sorry…I just hate not being able to do anything."

"Wait I just thought of something," Mikey said suddenly.

Both Leo and Raph huffed in irritation before Leo replied, "Mikey, I'm only going to explain this one more time. Waldo is NOT a high profile criminal that the government is using kids to find."

"No not that, but I don't believe you. I'm talking about what Karai said before," Mikey said before the two older turtles looked at each other in confusion.

"She said that she had a cure for the poison in Shredder's lair. I say we take on the tin can on his turf and get it," the orange masked turtle explained.

Leo squinted his eyes and stared at his baby brother before he looked at Raph and said, "Does he look serious to you? I think he's serious."

"I can't believe I'm saying this but…I'm with Mikey on this Leo," Raph replied casually.

The blue masked turtle blinked at his younger brother before he said, "Excuse me."

"Dude we don't have a lot of time here. We've already misplaced people we care about somewhere in the vastness of time and space…I don't wanna lose Splinter on top of that," Mikey said hoping to stop an argument from escalating.

Leo looked away from his brothers, expression showing he was deep in thought. After a few seconds he turned to Raph and Mikey before he nodded with a smirk.

"If we do this, we do this right. Lucky for us I think I have a plan," Leo said making his brothers smirk.

The three turtles disappeared into the night leaving their sensei safe in the lair.

…

Donne, Casey, April and Maya ran as fast as they could despite the fact that their legs were burning in pain. The space worm was right behind them and they weren't planning on giving it any kind of opportunity to catch up to them.

The purple masked turtle noticed the ladder leading to the surface and quickly jumped up on to it holding on for dear life.

"April grab on!" Donny shouted holding out his bo staff.

The red head quickly grabbed hold before she found herself being flung at the ladder.

Casey noticed what Donny was doing and pulled on Maya's arm to get her to run faster. The mermaid looked at her friend in confusion but he just gave her a confident smile.

"After you Gidget. I'm right behind you," Casey said before pushing Maya forward.

With a small yelp Maya flew towards Donny's bo staff before grabbing onto it tightly. Donny quickly pulled the tiny girl up before reaching his weapon out to Casey.

"Come on Jones grab it!" Donny cried.

It was like watching it in slow motion. First Casey jumped up and almost had his fingers wrapped around the bo staff before the kraathatrogon swallowed the teen whole.

Donny's eyes widened in shock before he screamed, "CASEY!"

As quickly as the worm came, it disappeared down the tunnel leaving the remaining teens grief stricken and shocked.

_'Tell this one that did not just happen_' Maya whispered devastated.

"Oh God," April wept before Donny quickly pulled her into his arms to try and comfort her.

"I'm so sorry…he was right there," Donny said sounding the most disturbed of the group. He may not have cared a great deal for the boy but he didn't deserve to go like that.

_'We must find a way to stop that thing'_ Maya said her expression suddenly deadly.

April pushed away from Donny before she said, "I know where we need to go."

…

The three climbed a fire escape of an apartment and stopped at one of the windows. April gently tapped on the glass before they were blinded by a flashlight.

"Great Cesar's ghost! Get in before you spotted!" a man said before the three climbed inside.

Once inside the older looking man caught them all off guard when he gasped in shock. The three teens all looked at the man confused before he spoke.

"What the hell is that thing?" he demanded staring at Maya's half transformed body in horror.

Maya looked away slightly terrified before April quickly came to her friend's rescue.

"_She _is a mermaid and _her _name is Maya. Now if you don't mind I think we have bigger problems," the red head said in a cold tone that made Donny shudder.

"Right uh sorry…I imagine you're here about the earthquake situation," the man said turning to his map that was covered with markers.

"Ya and you'll never believe what's causing it Mr. Carton," the red head replied happy to change the subject.

"Call me Jake," the man said before dropping pictures on his table.

"I've been tracking the Krang's worm farm for some time now. They import these baby worms in through dimension X to extract the mutagen. Kind of like milking giant cows," Jake explained.

"Gross," April said looking disturbed.

"How do we stop them?" Donny asked.

"No idea but I know they ride them using their antennas like the reigns on a horse," the man explained using a shaker of salt to demonstrate.

As Donny watched a brilliant idea suddenly hit him and he jumped up as he continued to stare at the shaker.

_'You have a plan?' _Maya asked.

"The salt…we can use it against the worms," Donny quickly explained.

Maya pried a bit into the turtle's mind to understand what he was talking about before she too jumped up.

_'Donny you're brilliant!' _she cried in delight.

"Who the hell said that?" Jake asked looking frightened.

Maya made an innocent face as she slowly raised her webbed hand before she explained _'this one talks with her brain.'_

"No time to explain. We need to leave now!" Donny said jumping up and grabbing Maya along with him.

"Wait what-"

April was cut off when she heard her phone ringing. With a confused look the girl grabbed her phone and opened to see Casey's number written across her screen.

"Oh my god," April said to herself before she answered the phone while Maya and Donny gave her a strange look.

"Casey?" she said hopefully.

At first all she could hear was a groaning before the voice of Casey Jones came through and said, "Hey Red…"

"Are you alright?" April asked in a panicked tone.

"Ya…still in the worm…it's trying to digest me," the boy explained.

"And you're still getting a signal?" the girl asked impressed.

"I know right?" Casey replied sounding surprised through his pain.

"Okay listen Casey, hold on. I think Maya and Donny have a plan," she explained.

She quickly ended the call before she looked at her friends in stunned shock. The mermaid and the turtle were both just as shocked as April was by the turn of events.

"He's alive," April said with a big smile on his face.

_'Then let us go. We need to see a worm about our friend' _Maya said already making her way to the window followed by April.

Donny quickly followed after them and shouted, "Wait we need to make a stop!"

…

In the shadows along the rooftop of the Shredder's lair hid the three turtles. The oldest of the brothers nodded his head before he jumped down into the throne room of their enemy. His younger brothers were strict instructions to stay back until he gave the signal.

Silently Leo looked around to see if the coast was clear until he noticed that beside Shredder's throne was a table. On the table was a small bottle of clear liquid, it was then that Leo realized that they had walked into a trap.

Leo instantly pulled out his katanas before he heard footsteps coming out from the shadows. He quickly turned around to see Karai walking towards him with a smug grin on her face.

"I knew you'd come here Leonardo. You really are quite boring and predictable," the girl said before she chuckled in amusement.

With the snap of Karai's fingers the blue masked turtle quickly found himself surrounded by foot soldiers. To his horror Leo saw the Shredder himself walk out with Tigerclaw at his side before standing next to Karai.

"Where are the others?" Shredder demanded.

A whistle was suddenly heard from above before lit fireworks fell from the skylight above them. Using the distraction to their advantage, Raph and Mikey dropped into the room. Mikey instantly ran for the serum that would cure his sensei while his big brother covered both him and Leo as the blue masked turtle went after Karai.

The girl caught him off guard when she found him first and quickly defended himself against her attack.

"Karai…please help us…help your true father," Leo begged hoping to get the girl to see reason.

"Are you blind turtle? I am helping my true father," Karai replied before slashing at the turtle once again.

Leo deflected the attack before striking back. He quickly pushed the girl into a wall and pressed her back into it trapping her there.

As he did Leo leaned in and whispered into her ear, "You may look like Tang Shen but you have Hamato Yoshi's eyes."

A roar was all Leo heard before he was flung across the room. It took him a few minutes to realize he had landed on Raph. Leo tried to sit up to get off his brother but was flung to the side when he was hit with something heavy. For a moment he was dazed before he looked up to see his baby brother laying on top of him.

Gently, the oldest turtle lifted Mikey off of him and laid the orange masked turtle beside him. The small turtle had his hands clenched against his chest as if it was causing him pain. Leo looked up in rage to see Rahzar holding the vile of liquid that could save their father.

Footsteps approaching once again caught Leonardo's attention and he looked up to see the Shredder standing over him and his brothers. The monster had his claws out and blood lust in his eyes.

"This is ends now turtles," Shredder hissed before he raised his arm over his head casting a shadow across the three brothers.

Leo, Raph and Mikey all closed their eyes awaiting the inevitable when a large booming voice filled the room.

"Over my dead body," a voice roared.

Everyone looked over to see Master Splinter standing tall but breathing heavily as the poison coursed through his body.

"Get away from my sons," Splinter hissed already in a fighting stance ready to protect his children by any means necessary.

Shredder chuckled before he replied, "I've been waiting for you."

Without hesitation Shredder flew at Splinter ready to skewer him with his blades. Splinter on the other hand only stepped aside and grabbed Shredder's arm before flipping the large man over onto his back.

Furious Shredder got to his feet and attacked Splinter with everything he had. If Splinter were not suffering from the poison he could have fought off his opponent better. However he was becoming weaker by the second and his chances of victory were becoming slimmer. He didn't see the punch coming at him that sent him flying across the room, making him land him land at the feet of none other than Karai.

Weakly Splinter opened his eyes to behold his lost daughter standing above him looking confused as he reached out to her.

"Miwa…I'm sorry," he said before he was forcibly pulled away from the girl and onto his feet by his opponent.

"Never assume that you may speak to my daughter so freely Yoshi," Shredder hissed before he held him in the air by his throat and pulled back his blades ready to end his former friend's life.

The three brothers watched in horror as their master was about to meet his end. It was Mikey who had felt something odd in his belt and realized he still had some fireworks left. Quickly the youngest turtle turned to Raph and tapped him on the shoulder.

"You still got those matches bro?" he whispered into his ear.

Raph nodded before he quickly handed the matches to his baby brother. Mikey quickly lit the fuse to the fireworks before he threw the fireworks at Shredder causing him to drop Splinter.

The foot shoulders all quickly surrounded their master to make sure he hadn't been burned by the fireworks. The turtles grabbed Mater Splinter before they made a hasty escape from the Shredder's lair.

…

Donny, April and Maya ran through the tunnels until the purple masked turtle told them to stop.

"Are you sure the worm will come here?" April asked.

"Definitely…Maya if you please," Donny replied.

Maya nodded her head before she opened her mouth and began singing an enchanting melody to coax the slimy beast to come at them. It didn't take long for the creature to find them and was approaching at a quick speed.

"Alright April bring on the salt," Donny said holding his bo staff like a baseball stick.

The red head quickly nodded her head before she started tossing salt containers at Donny who tried desperately to hit one of the containers into the worm's mouth. Maya and April were getting anxious with every hit that the turtle missed until they were down to their last container of salt.

"Please go in," Donny prayed before he shot the can and miraculously landed into the worm's mouth.

The three teenagers cheered until they realized that the worm was still coming at them.

_'How long before that salt starts working?' _Maya asked sounding worried.

"Wait for it," Donny replied nervously.

Suddenly the worm stopped inches from the teens before it started throwing up everything in its system including a screaming Casey Jones. The stomach bile sent the teens flying down the tunnel until they finally came to a stop several feet away.

"Oh my God I'm alive," Casey said completely shell shocked.

"Thank goodness you're okay," April said before flinging her arms around the boy's neck and hugging him tightly.

Donny watched from a distance looking lost before Maya put a hand on his shoulder and gave him a warm smile.

_'This one is proud of you Donatello' _Maya said.

Donny managed to give the girl a smile before a noise caught his attention. He and Maya looked over before they both became shocked at what they saw.

"Uh guys…hate to break up the reunion but we got problems," Donny said panicked.

Krang bots were trying to pull a worm through a portal. Donny had to think fast if they were going to stop the Krang from bringing anymore of these things into their world.

"Okay listen," Donny said getting everyone's attention.

"I think I can reverse the gravitational pull of the portal but I'm going to need a distraction," the tech savvy turtle explained.

"Leave it to me," Casey replied with a confident smirk before he grabbed one of his pucks and shooting them at the Krang.

Soon the Krang began shooting at him. April and Maya quickly went to his aid to help distract the aliens while Donny did what he did best.

Maya screamed at the bots, the pitch of her voice blowing their circuits to smithereens while April used her fan and hand to hand combat skills to fight them off. Suddenly the girl got an idea and ran to the worm that swallowed Casey before she jumped on and grabbed onto its antennas.

"Here's hoping the old man knows what he's talking about?" April said to herself before she started pulling on the 'reigns'.

Maya and Casey watched April riding the worm before they looked at each other and smirked. The pair quickly caught a ride on the giant slimy beast while April coaxed the worm to run over all of the Krang bots leaving them no longer functional.

After a few minutes Donny smirked with satisfaction when he figured out how to reverse the machine. That quickly diminished when he saw that his friends were in the line of fire to get sucked into the portal.

Thinking fast Donny used his bo staff to catch Casey's hand as he flew by. Casey used his other hand to catch April who used her other hand to catch Maya. Using all of his strength Donny flung his friends as far as he could from the portal before he turned it off. The room was suddenly quiet as the four friends all looked at each other to make sure they were all okay.

"Well that was fun," Casey said sarcastically breaking the ice and sending them all into laughter.

_'Way to go Donny, you were amazing!' _Maya said to the purple masked turtle before giving him a hug.

"That was pretty cool Don," April said hugging his other side.

Casey smirked as he walked over and held out a fist to the turtle, "Donny I take back everything bad I said about you dude."

Thanks Casey," Donny replied genuinely appreciative before returning the fist bump.

…

It wasn't until they were several blocks away that they finally stopped to let Master Splinter rest.

"Mikey can you find Maya with the link? I don't know how much more Master Splinter can take having the poison go through his system," Leo said practically begging.

"No need bros I have exactly what we need," Mikey said seriously before holding up a soft drink plastic bottle with clear liquid in it.

"This isn't funny Mikey! Splinter needs medicine not cream soda!" Raph screamed at his brother.

"It's not cream soda it's the serum," Mikey said passing the bottle to Leo to give to Splinter.

Both brothers looked at Mikey shocked before their baby brother became annoyed at both of them.

"Don't look at me like that, I can ninja sometimes. I had a couple empty bottles of pop in my shell. So I dumped the serum in one bottle and put the left over pop in another bottle before Rahzar came at me," Mikey explained like it was a completely normal thing for him to do.

Leo and Raph were once again blown away by their baby brother and the random times his ninjas skills actually decided to kick in.

"Although I do not approve of you keeping your shell the way you keep your room Michelangelo…even I have to admit I am very impressed by your ingenuity my son." Splinter said giving his youngest a weak smile as he waited for the antidote to kill the poison in his body.

"Thanks Sensei," Mikey replied giving his father a bright smile.

Upon hearing footsteps Leo, Raph and Mikey were immediately in fighting stances ready to protect their father. However the three quickly relaxed when they realized it was Donny, Casey, April and Maya.

"Oh my God you guys scared the crap out of us," Mikey said before he pulled all three of them into a bone crushing hug.

"Missed you to Mikey," Donny chuckled truly relieved to see his brothers in one piece.

The group quickly recapped what happened after they separated before Leo noticed Splinter off to the side on his own.

"Sensei you okay?" Leo asked concerned.

Splinter huffed before turning to his eldest son and replied, "I will be fine my son."

Leo made a determined face before he said," Sensei I swear I will make Miwa see the truth about you."

Splinter smiled at his son before he replied, "my daughter will come home when she is ready my son."

"Come let us go home," the former human said before he led his children back to the lair.

Everyone followed Splinter down the building except Maya who stayed behind for just a moment and smiled in the direction of a billboard.

_'Have your eyes opened at last lost girl?'_ Maya asked before she too disappeared.

As soon as she did Karai came out of her hiding place and stared after the group wondering about the mutant rat who had the same eyes as her.

* * *

All done for now folks, don't forget to review the lady!


	31. Chapter 31

Hello readers! This chapter is a little all over the place it took me a while to stabilize it. Enjoy!

* * *

"Alright this is it…now or never," Donny said to himself before he took a deep breath and put a sample of his retro mutagen under his microscope.

"Please turn normal, please turn normal," he pleaded to whatever deity was listening to him right now before looking into the instrument.

At first nothing happened making the purple masked turtle want to cry out in defeat. Then something miraculous happened. The atoms suddenly returned to their native state concluding that Donny's retro mutagen did actually work.

"I did it," he whispered before a big smile spread across his face.

"I ACTUALLY DID IT BOOYAKASHA!" Donny shouted in excitement.

April had been tutoring Maya at the time. They looked up at each other in confusion when they heard the shouting before making a run for the laboratory. When they got there they saw Donny jumping around the lab like he was crazy.

"What is he doing?" April said with a chuckle.

"This one is not certain but if this one had to guess she would say it to be a victory dance of some kind…or perhaps a rain dance," Maya replied innocently.

April couldn't help laughing at her friend before the three other Hamato brothers came running in giving the girls a confused look.

"What's goin' on in here?" Raph asked annoyed.

"Donny is doing a victory rain dance," Maya replied.

The purple masked turtle realized he was being watched before he quickly grinned ear to ear and shouted, "I DID IT!"

"Ooo did you figure out how to keep pizza from getting soggy when you dunk it in milk?" Mikey asked excitedly.

"Oh that would be quite the discovery!" the mermaid replied to her friend sounding just as excited.

April and the turtles all gave the pair a strange look before Donny said, "No that's gross, you two are disgusting."

Donny then turned to April and said, "I made a successful retro mutagen using your DNA and Maya's blood. April this means we can cure your dad!"

Not knowing what else to do April screamed in excitement before wrapping her arms around Donny's neck and kissing his cheek.

"Thank you so much Donny. You're amazing," she said before pulling away to go hug Maya.

The girls held hands as they jumped in a circle screaming with excitement. Michelangelo began jumping in a circle beside them waving his arms around as he perfectly mimicked their fan girl screaming. The three older turtles couldn't help smiling at the sight, even if it did kill their ear drums before Leo and Raph turned to Donny.

"How much were you able to make?" Leo asked in amazement.

"Just enough for two doses. It took ten canisters of mutagen just to make that," Donny explained.

"Holy crap. We better be careful with the stuff that we have," Raph said shocked.

Donny nodded his head in agreement as Master Splinter walked into the lab looking curious.

"I heard the sound of excited teenage girls…and Michelangelo. What has happened?" Splinter asked.

The purple masked turtle hesitantly stood in front of his father and said, "I did it sensei! I made a cure to turn Mr. O'Neil back to normal…and you."

Splinter looked at his son in shock, he suddenly became so lost in thought that he didn't hear April, Maya and Mikey stop their celebratory shenanigans.

_'I could be human once more. Take back Miwa and live a normal life…but what of my sons' _Splinter thought to himself.

"Sensei?" Leo said trying to get his father's attention after he suddenly became quiet.

Splinter gazed at his oldest son before turning his attention back to Donny and said, "Save April's father first. After that I will…consider it."

With that Splinter left the lab to go meditate on the very critical decision he would have to make when inevitably his sons would save April's father.

…

Mikey suddenly became very quiet while his brothers and April chatted excitedly about Donny's achievement

Ever the observant companion, Maya took Mikey's hand making the orange masked turtle look her in the eye.

_'You are worried' _Maya said bluntly trough their link.

Mikey looked down at the ground almost ashamed before he replied _'don't say anything…I mean it's stupid, we're not kids anymore…if it makes Splinter happy then he should go live the amazing life he deserves.'_

_'This one senses a 'but' coming' _Maya said knowingly.

Mikey smirked at his friend before he admitted _'but I don't wanna lose the only parent I've ever had...he's not my real dad but I love him more than anything.'_

The silver haired girl squeezed her friend's hand before she said _'This one promises she will tell no one. Though if this one may give her honest opinion; human or not this one highly doubts Splinter would just abandon his children.'_

The orange masked turtle smiled down at the silver haired girl before he replied _'you're probably right.'_

…

Baxter Stalkman was working away at his desk when he was approached by a furious Shredder. The intimidating threw pictures on the scientist's desk of failed experiments.

"I ordered you to create me a mutant army and you bring me this?" Shredder growled.

Baxter looked down at the picture of a duck with muscular human arms before he replied, "But he can swim, fly and knows Tiquando. He's unstoppable.

Rahzar who was like a loyal dog at Splinter's side roared, "How dare you embarrass Master Splinter this way!"

"Calm down Bradford…I have a more suitable punishment in mind," Splinter said calmly holding out the button the scientist's mutagen collar.

"Now wait I have plans!" Baxter pleaded.

"You have failed me to many times," Shredder said before he pushed the button activating the collar.

Baxter Stalkman cried out for Shredder to change his mind but the foot clan leader simply ignored him as he walked away with Rahzar by his side.

…

Karai sat in her room looking at an old burnt picture of her mother holding her as a baby. After overhearing the turtles and the rat the girl's mind was in overwhelmed with the thoughts going through her head.

"Someone is lying to me and I want to know who," the girl said voicing her thoughts out loud.

Feeling exhausted the girl laid down on her bed to rest her eyes for a while. It didn't take Karai long to fall into a deep sleep.

_Karai opened her eyes to find herself in Japanese garden. The girl was wide eyed as she looked around at all the beautiful plants and sakura trees that surrounded her._

_"What did I eat before I went to bed?" Karai wondered knowing very well that she is a very vivid dream._

_The sound of someone chuckling from behind Karai surprised her. She quickly spun around to be face to face with the woman she had been staring at in her baby picture._

_"Mother…"Karai whispered as if the woman in front of her would disappear if she spoke to loudly._

_The older woman smiled warmly at Karai as she approached her and gently placed her hands on either side of Karai's face._

_"You used to call me mama," Tang Shen teased._

_Karai couldn't help chuckling as a smile slowly graced her face. The girl couldn't believe she was actually feeling the warmth of her mother's hands on her face and the light smell of her mother's lavender body lotion._

_"Is this real?" Karai asked._

_"As real as a dream can be my sweet girl," the woman replied._

_For a moment Karai realized the reality of the situation. Dreams weren't real, her mother wasn't really here, and when she woke up her problems would be waiting for her._

_"This is ridiculous. It's been fifteen years so why am I suddenly dreaming about my dead mother," Karai demanded angrily as she pulled away from Tang Shen._

_"We are here child because you are ready to know the truth at last," Tang Shen explained calmly understanding that her daughter was hurting to know her mother was right in front of her but knew she wasn't really there._

_"Oh, and what truth is that? Are you here to tell me that my father is actually an awful man who stole me away in the night like a monster in some fairy tale?" the teen exploded as her emotions got the better of her._

_Tang Shen only smiled at her before she walked over to Karai and placed something solid in the girl's hands. Karai looked down to see it was a book, a journal to be more exact. It clearly had seen better days, the cover was worn and charred._

_"I don't understand, what is this?" Karai demanded._

_"The truth," Tang Shen explained before kissing her daughter on the head._

_The older woman pulled the girl into her arms as tears rolled down her face before she leaned her lips beside Karai's ear and whispered, "It's time for you come out of the dark shadows of lies and come into the light."_

_"I love you Miwa."_

Karai gasped as her eyes shot open. She quickly look around to see that she was lying on her bed in her own room.

_'It was a strange dream but it was a dream none the less…dreams aren't real' _Karai thought feeling disappointed.

Karai huffed before she went to sit up but was quickly met with a surprise. The girl looked down to see her mother's journal laying on her chest. For a moment the girl could only stare at the old book in shock until suddenly curiosity got the better of her.

She opened the book and instantly had to cover her mouth before she burst into tears. There right on the first page was the truth staring her right in the face and it suddenly dawned on her that everything she had known up until this point had been a lie.

…

After hours of searching they had finally found him. The turtles, April, and Maya at last were spying Kirby O'Neill in his nest behind a billboard.

April stared longingly at the creature that was once her father as Leo placed a comforting hand on her shoulder and gave her a warm smile.

"Don't worry April. Before you know it you will be with your father again," the blue masked turtle assured the girl before turning to Maya.

"Stand back here with April so Kirby doesn't get riled up while we give him the retro mutagen," Leo instructed.

_'This one will not leave April's side' _Maya replied in her half mermaid form.

"Wait, why am I staying back? I can calm him down," April said to Leo looking slightly annoyed.

"Last time we tried that your dad kidnapped you, brought you to his nest and tried to feed you rats," Raph explained.

April opened her mouth to argue but couldn't think of a good defense and crossed her arms before she huffed, "I _suppose _that's a good point."

"Just sit tight this will be all over before you know it," Leo said trying to comfort his friend before he shot his grappling hook to get to the billboard followed by his brothers.

…

Baxter Stalkman woke up to find himself turned into a hideous fly. He screamed in rage before he managed to escape from his lab and disappear into the night sky. It felt like he had been flying around for hours before his new heightened hearing picked up on the sound of voices.

To be more specific it was the voices of his great enemies the turtles.

_'Let's do this fast. Raph, Mikey; you're with me. Don't let him escape. Donny go in and strike him fast with the retro mutagen' _he heard the blue turtle say.

"Retro mutagen? With that I could go back to being normal again. Vengeance will be mine," the fly mutant hissed viciously.

…

April watched in anticipation as the four brothers silently approached her slumbering bat dad. Quickly but quietly they made their way over. They were inches away from the mutant bat when something flew by scaring Donny enough to drop the mutagen on the ground. However this woke up Kirby and the former human quickly flew off in confusion.

"Dad no!" April cried.

"Give it to me…" a voice hissed.

They turned around to see a massive fly mutant wearing very familiar clothing.

"Geez these mutants are coming out of the wood work," Raph said pulling out his sais.

"Give me the retro mutagen now!" the creature demanded.

While Leo, Raph and Donny stared at the new mutant in shock; Mikey tilted his head to the side and squinted his eyes before he recognized the new creature.

"Hey it's Aster Walkman!" Mikey shouted.

The fly looked right at the orange masked turtle before he shouted, "For the love of science you freak it's Baxter Stalkman!"

Before any of them could answer the fly mutant spotted the vial of yellow retro mutagen and flew for it as fast as he could. Realizing what he was going to do, Donny tried to go for the vial. Just as both Stalkman and Donny had their fingers touching the priceless liquid, they both pushed it just enough to fall off the roof and break on someone's car.

"NO!" Donny cried.

Baxter hissed in rage before he saw April and Maya. Thinking fast the creature flew at the pair with determination. Maya stood in front of April ready to defend her friend but was quickly thrown into the corner of a brick wall.

"Maya!" April cried before she quickly found herself being lifted off the ground.

"Let her go!" Donny cried furious.

Baxter Stalkman only laughed before he replied, "bring me retro mutagen or else the girl is going to have a mutagen bath."

Leo and Donny tried to chase the fly mutant as he flew off with their friend while Raph and Mikey ran over to Maya's unconscious form.

"May…come on wake up," Mikey said sounding uncharacteristically nervous.

The red masked turtle quickly looked the mermaid over using what little First Aid knowledge he had before he turned to his little brother.

"She's got a hell of a bump on the back of her head but she's okay. Let's get her back home and Donny can get a better look," Raph assured his usually hyperactive little brother.

Mikey nodded his head before he picked up his friend and let Raph lead him back to the layer.

…

When they got back the four brothers sat in the lab debating on what to do while Donny checked over his patient.

"We can't just hand the retro mutagen over to that guy," Raph said crossing his arms.

Leo glanced at his brother before he replied, "Well we can't let April get mutated either so what's your plan Raph?"

"Bros I think there's a bigger slice of the pizza pie we gotta worry about to," Mikey said making Leo and Raph stare at him.

"What?" Raph demanded.

"I don't think we can split the retro mutagen we have left and share it between two dudes…we're gonna have to tell sensei that he can't be human," Mikey explained.

As much as he didn't want to lose his father figure, he also never wanted to ever see him unhappy. The retro mutagen was Splinter's chance to be himself again. Leo, Raph and Donny all looked just as guilty as he did at the idea that they had given their sensei a sliver of hope only to crush it in front of his eyes.

"I believe I said I would consider it," Splinter's voice boomed scaring the crap out of them all.

They all turned to see Splinter kneeling by Maya checking her head to see for himself if she was alright. Feeling satisfied he turned to his sons looking stern.

"I may not be human but I am fortunate enough to have my humanity. Save Kirby and April," Splinter stated.

"But sensei…you could have your life back," Donny said in surprise.

Splinter smiled at his children before he replied, "even if I were to once again become Hamato Yoshi, I would not have what I once did. My path has changed and _you _my sons are what brings my life happiness."

The turtles all smiled back at their sensei before Donny turned to his brothers and said, "okay I have a plan but it's gonna take a little team work."

…

"So who's the goon who smacked around Gidget and kidnapped April?" Casey asked as he walked into the layer looking a little peeved to say the least.

"It's a long story Casey but I promise you get to hit somebody with a stick…a lot," Leo explained.

"Say no more Leo…I'm in," the teen replied before turning his head to the side to crack his neck.

Raph shook his head as he walked by before he made his way over the lab where he knew he would find Mikey. The orange masked turtle was reading comics to Maya who had woken up a few hours ago and changed into her human form. The mermaid laughed at the way Mikey would do the voices of all the characters.

"Yoh Mikey. Looks like you and me are on bat duty," Raph said as he approached the pair.

The younger turtle just smiled wickedly before he exclaimed, "Ah ya son! You know what that means bro..."

"Please don't," Raph replied in annoyed tone.

Completely ignoring his older brother, Mikey pulled out a costume out of nowhere and draped it on himself proudly.

"Buzz buzz bro!" Mikey yelled excitedly.

Raph switched his annoyed glare from Mikey to Maya before he said, "you told him the plan already didn't you."

"All this one asked was what buzz buzz was about. He never really answered the question…just came running in holding the costume," Maya replied staring at Mikey.

"It's the epic return of Turflytle daaaawg!" the orange masked turtle cheered excitedly.

Mikey turned to a smiling Maya expectantly before she said, "you look majestic."

"Don't you _dare, _encourage this!" Raph hissed at Maya pointing at her accusingly.

"Buzz buzz is buzz back buuuuzzzzzz," Mikey said flapping his arms causing Maya to burst out into a fit of giggles.

"Start moving before I kick your butt Mikey!" Raph yelled as he started to walk off.

"This one should come to," Maya said as she started to get out of the bed.

The orange masked turtle quickly stopped her by resting a hand on her shoulder. The mermaid looked up confused until she saw the scared look in Mikey's eyes.

"I know you can kick butt and all May….but just this once could you just stay here," Mikey said sadly.

"This one scared you before didn't she?" Maya asked knowingly.

It took a long time for Mikey to look his friend in the eye before he nodded his head and said, "It is alright. This one's feelings are not hurt, this one understands your fears."

Mikey smiled before he quickly followed after Raph yelling back to Maya, "I'll bring you back one of fly boy's antennas as a souvenir!"

…

Raph didn't know how much he could take of his little brother saying 'buzz buzz' every five seconds. It was worth it though when Kirby finally took the bait and started going after Mikey. The red masked turtle did his best to stay on his brother's tail while he was being chased by the bat mutant.

They chased him for a couple blocks before Raph started to get irritated at his other two brothers. They were supposed to be here a while ago with April and the retro mutagen. He quickly pulled out his phone and called Leo to see what the holdup was.

"Leo hurry up man before I let Kirby eat Mikey," Raph said trying to keep up with his baby brother and the bat.

"We're on our way," Leo replied before the sounds of loud banging could be heard in the background.

"Buy us some time Raph we're gonna be late," Leo said before the line went dead.

Raph looked at his cell furious before he yelled, "buy time? How the hell am I supposed to buy time for something like this?" Raph screamed.

AHHHHH HE'S GONNA EAT ME! BUZZ BUUUUUZZZZZZ!" Mikey screamed as Kirby got closer and closer.

For a moment Raph debated letting Kirby have a taste…that was until he thought of all the horrible things Maya would do to him if the turtle got one scratch on his watch.

"Sorry Kirby baby bro ain't on the menu," Raph said before he shoved the bat away from Mikey just before he was about to chomp on one of Mikey's wings. The blow knocked the bat mutant out of the sky and onto the roof of a nearby building.

Mikey and Raph quickly landed in front of him when April came running out of nowhere towards her father.

"Stay back and let me talk to him," she said before gently approaching the man.

The bat stared at April in fear until it recognized who she was. The creature moaned sadly as the red head girl slowly approached him.

"Everything is going to be okay dad…I promise," she assured him caressing the sides of his face gently as he did when she was little and had nightmares.

"Sorry this took so long Mr. O'Neill…We'll have you back in a jiffy," Donny said.

Before he could administer the cure to Kirby something whizzed by and stole the retro mutagen right out of his hands.

"I told you it's mine," Baxter Stalkman said flying off.

"Seriously?" Donny replied annoyed before he and the other turtles took off after the mutagen.

…

Mikey was the first to catch up to the fly mutant and flew into him causing him to drop the mutagen. Raph was right behind him ready to catch the precious cargo. Soon it was a back and forth chase between the turtles and Baxter along with the footbots.

It went on for a while until an ear piercing scream filled the air causing the footbots and the fly mutant to fall to the ground clenching their heads in pain. Mikey and Raph landed just in time to see Maya holding the canister of retro mutagen.

"What did you people do before I came along," Maya teased with a smile. Mikey just smiled before he started cheering in excitement.

"Alright Maya way to do a six person job in five seconds! Never should have doubted you," Mikey boasted making the girl blush.

It took no time to get back to where April, Casey and Kirby were. What they saw when they got there was bizarre to say the least. Kirby had decided to use Casey as his own personal teddy bear in his frightened state while April desperately tried to calm him down.

"Donny I think you need to work fast," Leo said noticing Casey starting to turn purple.

With a nod of his head the purple masked turtle did just that and quickly splashed the retro mutagen on the bat's face. After a few excruciating minutes of waiting, the teens were rewarded with the slow but positive process of the bat mutant turning back into Kirby O'Neill.

April almost cried of relief as she flung herself into her father's arms. The man quickly wrapped his arms around her holding his daughter tight.

"I missed you so much," April said with relief.

"Me to pumpkin," Kirby replied kissing the side of his daughter's head.

It took the man a few minutes to realize it wasn't just his daughter he was holding and looked down at the boy he was suffocating. He quickly let go before looking up at the turtles and the silver haired teenage girl with them.

"I think I have some catching up to do," Kirby said half kidding.

…

The turtles returned home feeling good about what they had accomplished that night. As they were all about to turn in, Splinter walked out into the main room.

"Michelangelo. A moment before you rest for the night," Splinter said before leading his youngest son towards the dojo.

Once they were inside the pair knelt in front of each other in silence before Splinter cleared his throat and gave his son a proud gaze.

"Everything okay sensei?" Mikey asked.

Splinter nodded his head before he said, "I am fine but I could not help noticing you were unusually quiet this evening until the talk of me no longer being able to turn human came up."

The orange masked turtle ducked his head so low his nose was practically touching his chest.

"Michelangelo look at me my son," Splinter commanded gently.

Bright baby blues hesitantly looked up to wise red ones before Splinter said, "you were going to convince your brothers to give me the retro mutagen tonight."

Mikey almost looked guilty about it before he replied, "I-I just want you to be happy sensei…even if it's not with us."

That took Splinter by surprise. The idea of leaving his sons behind regardless of what happened was not even an option in his mind.

"What have I done to give you the idea that I could so easily let go of my children Michelangelo?" Splinter asked truly curious.

Mikey sighed before he looked away and mumbled, "No reason."

Splinter quickly reached out with his paw and turned his son's face so it was facing his before he said, "my son listen well. There is nothing and I mean _nothing _in this world that could grant me the happiness that I have gained with you and your brothers."

"Not even Miwa?" Mikey asked.

Splinter looked sad for a moment before he replied, "If my daughter were to return to me it would only mean that I have five children instead of four. Michelangelo I love all my children and would die for their happiness whether I was human or rat. Do you understand?"

The orange masked turtle nodded his head before he scooted up enough to rest his head on his father's chest. Splinter quickly wrapped his arms around his youngest holding him tight.

"I love you Michelangelo. You are my son whether we have the same blood or not," Splinter stated so confidently that it made Mikey blush.

"I love you to dad."

* * *

All done for now folks, don't forget to review the lady!


	32. Chapter 32

Exciting news readers! I've finally finished my tattoo after five years! It feels so good walking around with a complete masterpiece on my body. Anyway thought I'd share my excitement, on with the story!

* * *

Leo walked into the living room to see the bored expressions of his three younger brothers. He couldn't help smiling as he watched them knowing that the reason they were bored was because for the first time in months, the humans and mermaid were busy. April and Maya were once again trying to find the perfect dress for the silver haired girl while Casey was forced by his dad to go get a proper suit to where to the dance.

To be fair Mikey seemed like he was enjoying himself looking at pictures of Maya in a variety of different dresses.

"Come on guys get up we're gonna be late," Leo said getting the attention of all his brothers at once.

"Did I miss something what are we doing?" Donny asked looking confused.

Leo smirked before he answered, "something we haven't done in a while."

Raph smirked in realization before Mikey jumped up and shouted, "BRO NIGHT!"

"Mr. Murakami closed up early so we could go grab some grub," Leo said as he started making his way towards the exit of their home followed by his brothers.

…

Karai stared out at the skyline from the Shredder's throne room. She stared down at the picture of her, her mother and her true father. It turned her stomach to think that her entire life had been a gigantic lie and all this time she had been loyal to her mother's murderer.

_'Tonight I end this. I promise mother that I will make things right at last' _Karai thought to herself before the sounds of footsteps disturbed her.

The girl quickly hid the photo under her armor before she turned to see none other than the Shredder himself.

"You look troubled my daughter. What is wrong?" Shredder demanded.

Karai took a minute before she turned to the man and replied, "Nothing father…Simply frustrated by recent events."

"I too am finding myself annoyed. Nothing makes me angrier then knowing Hamato Yoshi still breathes," Shredder hissed.

Karai looked up at the man that raised her and saw a dark look in his eyes that usually meant bad news for their enemies.

"You have a plan?" Karai asked curiously.

Shredder was silent for a moment before he answered, "Yes, I do. If we want to destroy Yoshi and his _pets. _Than we must go and destroy the things they love most."

"You wish us to kill their friends?" Karai asked hoping she was sounding more like she was confirming an order rather than sounding disgusted and horrified by the plan.

"Do what you must to find out where their little hideout is," Shredder ordered.

Before Karai could say anything more the doors burst open before Tiger claw walked into the room. He quickly made his way to Master Splinter's side.

"Tigerclaw will join you," Shredder said sternly.

"I can do this myself father," Karai argued.

Without warning Shredder backhanded the teen across the face. The force of the slap sent her flying across the room before the foot clan leader said, "This is not up for debate. Tigerclaw will join you and will do what must be done to find the turtles' hide out."

Karai gracefully got to her feet. She wiped the blood off her lip before she replied, "Yes sir."

…

The boys were standing ready, it was an all or nothing standoff. Leo watched from his seat on the stool in amusement as Raph, Donny and Mikey waited anxiously.

"Alright boys, GO!" Mr. Murakami shouted before he threw a pizza gyoza over his shoulder towards where he could hear the boys dancing on their toes. He couldn't help smiling as he tried to picture the sight of the trio fighting over the one savory treat.

They shoved and pushed at each other until they were a mess of limbs. Mikey was lying shell down on top of his brothers when he saw the pizza gyoza flying right at him. He opened his mouth to catch the prize but was thwarted by his oldest brother who caught the treat with the side of one of his katanas. The blue masked turtle happily popped the treat into his mouth.

Raph, Donny and Mikey quickly got to their feet before they gave their eldest brother an annoyed look.

The purple masked turtle said, "I thought you were above these 'childish games'."

Leo happily munched away on his prize before he nodded his head and said, "ya but…this is really good."

The blue masked turtle walked off towards the window as his brothers starting gobbling down more pizza gyoza. He felt guilty having a distracted mind when it was his idea to get his brothers out of the sewers to distract them from their misery.

Lately his mind had been filled with a certain human teenage girl was being more stubborn than anyone else he had ever met in his life. He simply couldn't comprehend why Karai couldn't see the truth that was right in front of her.

"You okay Leo?" the eldest turtle heard Donny ask him.

"He's thinking about Karai again. Seriously dude when are you gonna get over that crush of yours?" Raph said in an annoyed tone.

Leo huffed before he replied, "I don't have a crush on her! Well not anymore at least. I'm sorry I just…I just wish we could find a way to bring Master Splinter his daughter."

Mikey took that moment to stand on top of the counter. With a mouth full of food spraying everywhere he said, "Have faith Leo! She just found out her life has been a lie but the truth will set her free. Just give her some time to accept who she really is!"

Raph gave his youngest brother a grossed out expression as he, Donny and Leo started cleaning the rain of chewed pizza gyoza off their face.

"Once again Mikey you grossness makes me wonder how we're the ones who can't find a girlfriend," Raph commented in an annoyed tone.

Donny ignored his brothers as he approached Leo and said, "He's right though bro just give her some time to wrap her head around all this.

"Ya well I hope she doesn't. I don't trust her for one second," Raph said not noticing Mikey's greedy fingers slipping his last pizza gyoza out of his hand.

"You're right Raph. Can't trust anyone," Donny replied trying not to laugh.

Raph nodded his head before he said, "see Donny gets it."

The red masked turtle went to eat the last of his meal when he suddenly only bit down on air. He quickly turned to his baby brother who was happily munching on his prize. Raph wasted no time tackling Mikey to the ground to teach him a lesson about messing with Hamato Raphael's food.

Leo huffed as he watched his younger brothers wrestle not even slightly enjoying the sight as much as he normally would.

…

Mr. Murakami waved as he heard the boys leaving for the night and quickly started his routine of closing up his shop for the night. Suddenly he heard people enter and quickly turned to where he heard the sounds of footsteps.

"Hello?" the blind man called out hesitantly.

"Leonardo, is that you?" he said when he received no reply.

Suddenly he could hear a growling from behind him and he turned to the source of the sound before a female voice replied, "not quite."

The old man quickly found himself on the floor of his shop with something sharp sitting against his neck before the girl's voice demanded, "the turtles, where are they?"

Mr. Murakami quickly replied, "I do not know what you are talking about."

"Lying will only make things worse for you?" the girl said pressing as the sharpness pressed a little more into the man's skin.

"Please I know nothing," the man insisted in a scared voice.

All was stressfully silent for a moment until at last he heard his captor sigh before she said, "there is no honor in this."

Suddenly he felt the weight of the sharp object leave his neck before he heard the sounds of the girl walking away from him.

It was quiet once more before Mr. Murakami heard a growl and then a deep voice said, "I did not come here for honor."

Suddenly the blind man felt fear creep into his entire being before he felt himself being picked up and thrown across his restaurant. The old man could hear the growling man wrecking his beloved shop before turning towards him.

The growling man picked up Mr. Murakami by his shirt and slammed him into the wall knocking his head against it roughly. He then once again felt something sharp against his throat and began to feel weak in his body, mind and spirit.

"Tell me where we can find Casey Jones and April O'Neill," the female demanded.

When the shop keep didn't answer right away the girl said, "I suggest you talk fast old man. My friend here isn't a very patient man.

Mr. Murakami was quickly fearing for his life and in a moment of weakness blurted, "They were in here after school…April told me this afternoon she was going to look at dresses with her friend…Casey mentioned going with his father to find a suit…there is some kind of formal dance."

For a moment no one did anything. Then suddenly Mr. Murakami was thrown across the restaurant once more and knocked out when his head collided with the wall.

The last thing the blind man heard was the girl yelling at the growling man about there was no honor in beating on a blind man.

When he awoke it was to the scared voice of Michelangelo. The blind man could have cried in relief to hear that the children had returned when the youngest boy had forgotten his leftovers.

"These strange people came demanding to know where you live. I told them I did not know and when…the growling man was choking me I confessed to the whereabouts of Casey and April. Please forgive my shame," Mr. Murakami begged.

"There is nothing to forgive. We'll find them," Donny replied gently to the blind man.

Tigerclaw and Karai are on the move. Raph, Mikey; you guys go after Casey and keep trying to phone him. He said he would be with his father so if we can help it stay out of sight. Donny and I will go after the girls," Leo commanded.

Mikey looked like he wanted to say something but Leo beat him to it when he saw the look on his baby brother's face.

"I promise I'll make sure Maya comes home safe little brother," Leo said rubbing Mikey's head affectionately.

"I know dude I trust you guys," the youngest turtle replied giving his brother one of his signature smiles.

The turtles stayed long enough to call the police for Mr. Murakami before they disappeared into the night.

…

Karai and Maya had just walked out of yet another dress shop just as it was closing for the night. Both girl had no luck finding a dress for the dance and it was frustrating for them both.

"Why can this one not simply go in her usual attire?" Maya asked annoyed as they walked down the street.

"You can't just wear anything you want. It supposed to be a special night where you get to dress up and feel like a fairy tale princess for a night," April explained.

"That is all fine and good but feeling like a princess should not cost so much money," Maya said sounding both annoyed and tired.

"Think of it this way. If you wanted to impress Mikey would you wear your everyday clothes or would you want to look extra special for him?" April asked.

Maya seemed to think about it for a minute before she replied, "this one does not need to try and look especially grand for Mikey…he says every day that this one is special to him.

April had to stop walking because she was just so overwhelmed by how much his two friends cared about each other.

"Seriously who taught that boy how to be so sweet? I can't believe I'm saying this but I'm actually jealous of what you guys have and it's not even a thing yet," April said as she smiled warmly.

Maya stopped walking as well before she hesitantly turned to her friend looking as though she had something to share.

"May…what's going on?" April asked gently.

The petite silver haired girl took a deep breath before she said, "what if this one wanted it to become a thing?"

The red head looked shocked at her friend before resisting the urge to squeal in delight as she asked, "Are you trying to say you want to kiss Mikey?"

Maya's cheeks turned a lovely rosy pink as she started to nod her head with a soft smile on her face. April couldn't resist anymore and started to coo at her sweet innocent friend.

"Don't be embarrassed this is a good thing. It's normal to want to kiss the boy you like," April said pulling Maya into a hug.

"Do you not recall what it means for this one to kiss Mikey?" Maya asked.

April couldn't help smiling as she remembered the stories Dylan told her of mermaid mythology before she replied, "Yes I remember."

"This one is afraid…what if Mikey is not this one's one?" Maya asked in a scared voice.

The red head hugged the mermaid tighter before and pulled away and she said, "Never in my life have I seen two people so meant for each other. Follow your gut May I think you already know that you should go for it."

Maya smiled at her friend before nodding her head and said, "Yes…this one is ready."

"Come on. Let's go home and share our dislike of shopping over a pint of ice cream," April said grabbing Maya's hand before they both started walking down the street.

The girls happily walked in silence until they started walking down an alley. April suddenly stopped when she sensed they were being followed. Without a word the red head pushed Maya behind her as she pulled out her fan.

Who's there?" she demanded.

Suddenly a shadow dropped from a fire escape landing right in front of April. The red head had just enough time to realize it was Karai before the other girl shoved her aside pushing her away from Maya. Karai then turned her attention to Maya and began approaching her.

Maya was ready to defend herself from her former captor when Kari ducked dodging the fan that was aimed at her head. Karai turned to see a furious April O'Neill holding her hand up to catch her fan that returned to his owner like a boomerang.

"Get away from her now," April hissed at the other girl ready to attack.

"Look I just want to talk," Karai replied holding her hands up in surrender.

"Ya right," the red head growled in a way that would make Raph proud before she ran at Karai to attack.

Maya barely had time to get out of the way as the two girls fought but noticed that the girl known as Karai was not attacking April…she was defending herself from her opponent.

"O'Neill stop dammit!" Karai yelled in frustration.

Maya quickly felt around inside Karai's mind before she realized the girl was telling the truth. Without thinking twice Maya ran at her friend before catching her arm in mid swing.

"What are you doing?" April screamed in shock.

"She is speaking the truth," Maya said before turning to face Karai.

"Her eyes are open, she is ready to talk," the mermaid said nodding to the girl.

…

"This looks dumb," Casey said to his dad as he walked out wearing a classic black suit with a bow tie.

"Agreed," a young girl said sitting beside her dad.

The older man couldn't help chuckling at his son as he tried desperately to pull at the collar as if it was choking him.

"I guess we Jones men don't do suits so good eh Casey boy," the man said in a deep voice.

Even the guy at the store helping them took one look at Casey and could tell right off the bat this kid was not made for this suit.

"Okay I got one more thing for you to try. Yes, it's got a tie but it doesn't feel so tight," the store clerk said before he disappeared.

"Dad I know I'm supposed to clean up for this but…this doesn't feel right," Casey admitted.

Mr. Jones smiled at his son before he said, "don't sweat it kid. I'll make sure you clean up with some style. Just remember boy, even the boys in the NHL gotta go to every game looking their best."

Casey couldn't help smiling at his old man when he said stuff like that.

"Don't get excited old man I ain't hitting the big leagues any time soon," the teen replied.

Mr. Jones barked out a laugh before he said, "you're right kid, cause you Casey Jones are going to college even if it kills me."

Now it was Casey's turn to laugh pulling off the bow tie as he turned to his dad and commented, "You and Angel are like literally the only people who think I'll make it into college."

The little girl with black hair and purple highlights looked up at Mr. Jones before she said, "that's probably true. Seriously Casey you better get into college I've got money on you."

Casey couldn't help chuckling before he looked at his little sister and said with a wink, "you better split those winnings with me Angie."

Mr. Jones suddenly had an unreadable expression on his face as he gripped the arms of the chair he was sitting in. He always felt like it was his fault that Casey had such bad self-esteem. Didn't help that he and his late wife had their son when they were only sixteen years old. Both sides of the family disowned the young family pretty quick. The only time his parents even met Casey was when he was five years old. His old man had the balls to tell _his _little boy in front of his proud daddy that he was nothing but an accident and a waste of life. Needless to say Arnold Jones was not above punching out his own dad and that was the last time he'd seen his parents.

Unfortunately the attacks on Casey didn't stop there. At his wife's funeral her parents had the god damn nerve to blame their baby boy for Maggie's violent death. The couple were quickly removed from the funeral home but the damage had already been done.

_'Their loss. Losers don't know what their missing' _Arnold Jones thought to himself.

Since then Arnold did everything in his power to get the kid's self-esteem up without making him self-absorbed. Didn't help when teachers would basically tell Casey in the nicest way possible that he wasn't college material.

He often walked out of parent/teacher nights yelling, "My kid ain't dumb, you just don't know how to teach him."

Since he met these new friends a couple months ago, the kid had done a 180. His grades went up, he started smiling more…he really needed to fix the kid's front teeth.

"Lookin' good bro," Angel said giving her brother a thumbs up.

"Dad what do ya think?" Casey asked.

Arnold was so lost in his thoughts that he didn't realize that the store clerk had brought Casey the new suit. He looked the kid up and down before he walked over and slicked his son's hair back.

"You clean up nice boy," he said making his son smirk.

The moment was over however they both heard Casey's phone go off. The teen quickly picked up the phone before his face suddenly lost all colour.

"Okay I'll be right there," Casey said before hanging up the phone.

"What's going on?" Arnold demanded.

"Uh somebody stole my friend's wallet. Called to see if I could bring them a bus fare," the teen explained quickly as he ran to the dressing room.

"Where is your friend?" Arnold asked his son.

"Not far from here. He's kind of freaked out so I'm gonna make sure he gets to his place and then I'll come home," Casey explained quickly as he went into the change room to get into his street clothes.

Arnold cursed himself once again for not being able to afford a car for his family before he said, "Okay listen, you and your friend take a cab and tell the driver I'm paying when he drops you off at home. Call me when you get your friend home alright?"

Casey was quiet for a moment before he replied, "dad…you sure?"

"Hey I'd rather spend the money and see you kids get home in one piece if it's all the same to you. It's been a little too weird around this city at night for my liking," Arnold explained.

"By the way kid we're buying the suit. Should last you till graduation since you ain't growing any time soon," the older man added before grabbing the clothing that hung over the change room door.

"Thanks dad," Casey replied before he heard his dad disappeared to the cashier with his daughter.

…

Casey hated lying to his dad but he had to get his family out of danger. If Tigerclaw or Karai was coming after him, then he didn't want to be anywhere near his dad or his baby sister. He told Raph on the phone that he would meet him a couple blocks from here. He dashed out of the store over to where he was supposed to meet the red masked turtle. He was caught off guard however when he was dragged down an alley by a furry paw.

The teen was quickly slammed into a wall and held there by his throat while his feet dangled off the ground. He looked up in shock to see it was the massive mutant tiger that had attacked him. Thinking fast Casey grabbed his home made taser and slammed it into the tiger's arm.

The mutant roared in pain but didn't let go of Casey. The teen tried to kick him off but it was no use against the beast of a creature. Just as the teen thought he was a goner, Tigerclaw was suddenly tackled to the ground by a raging Raph.

"Casey! You okay bro?" Mikey asked as he help his coughing friend to his feet.

The teen could only nod his head as he tried desperately to catch his breath.

"How'd you find me?" the teen asked.

"Tracked your phone using our phones to bounce the locator signal off the satellite," Mikey explained casually like it was the most normal thing ever.

Casey raised an eyebrow before he replied, "_you _did that."

Mikey shrugged before he explained, "ya tracked you down the same way I track the pizza delivery guy."

…

When Leo and Donny finally found the girls they halted to a stop shocked by what they were seeing. April and Maya were sitting across from Karai and…was Maya holding Karai's hand?

Not sure what to think Leo and Donny looked at each other confused before slowly approaching the girls.

"What's going on?" Leo asked.

April quickly stood in front of Karai protectively before she said, "It's okay guys. She came to talk."

"I don't understand," Leo replied looking over at Karai.

"I believe you Leo," Karai blurted out suddenly.

"The Shredder sent me out with Tigerclaw to take you down but I've made a decision…I'll return honor to my name by betraying Shredder and joining my true father by his side," Karai explained.

"What made you change your mind?" Leo asked.

"I-I…spoke to my mother," Karai admitted knowing very well how crazy she sounded.

"Leo are you sure about this?" Donny asked his older brother fearfully.

Karai actually turned to Donny and said, "I know it's crazy but I can prove it."

The girl quickly pulled out the charred journal out of her bag and gently passed it into Leo's hands before she said, "open it."

The blue masked turtle quickly opened the book and right on the first page was a picture of Tang Shen, Yoshi and Miwa. On the inside of the cover, written in beautiful Japanese writing was 'property of Tang Shen.'

"It should have burned in the fire but somehow she…made sure I got to learn the truth," Karai said as her eyes started to water.

Leo looked to his brother who nodded his head before he looked at Karai and said, "On my honor as a ninja I'll make sure you will return to your father…Miwa.

Karai couldn't help but laugh through her ears before she said, "Kami you guys are dramatic...I'm never going to get used to being called that."

"Oh don't worry this one is certain Michelangelo will come up with some affectionate nickname for you like Mimi or Meow," Maya said in a teasing tone.

Karai smiled at the girl before she said, "thank you for your forgiveness."

Maya smiled back before she replied, "next time you need blood just ask. It's much more simple a task for both us that way."

"Well first thing is first…we need to take out Tigerclaw," Leo said earning a nod from the rest of the group.

* * *

All done for now don't forget to review the lady!


	33. Chapter 33

So sorry everyone! I fell off the grid doing some adult stuff it was awful! Anyway back to the story hope it was worth the wait :)

* * *

Leo phoned Raph and told him to meet back at the lair with the others. He conveniently didn't mention the fact that he was bringing an extra guest into their home knowing damn well how his little brother was going to react.

"So you're just not gonna tell him," Donny commented casually.

"Yeah no," Leo answered shortly before he started to lead them home.

The three girls walking behind the turtles all sighed knowing it was going to be a shit show the second they all walked into the lair. Maya quietly sent Mikey a warning through their link so that he had a chance to duck and cover when they got there.

…

Ralph had just gotten an ice pack for Casey's head when he heard his brothers walking into their home. He looked up and immediately started gritting his teeth together to hold back his rage.

"Mikey hold the ice pack right there," Raph instructed using his baby brother's hand to press the ice pack where it needed to go.

The red masked turtle then quickly jumped to his feet and turned an angry stare at his older brother as the group walked in.

"What the hell is she doing here Leo?" Raph demanded.

Leo glared at the other turtle before he replied, "Doing what I said I was going to do from the very beginning of all this. I swore that I would bring Master Splinter's daughter home."

Donny stepped forward ready to step in between his brothers if need be. Especially when he saw Leo clenching his fists and Raph growling ferociously.

"Dammit Leo she's the daughter of the SHREDDER! You may be ready to serve this family on a silver platter to that piece of shit but I'm not!" Raph shouted.

"The Shredder lied to me...my mother…she told me everything," Karai said pulling out the journal and holding it out to show Raph.

"You lost me," Raph said looking confused.

"I thought it had perished," a shocked voice said making all of the teens turned to see Splinter standing in the doorway looking shocked.

Karai couldn't help feeling uneasy as the man who she thought was an enemy all her life suddenly approached her. Splinter spared the teen a shocked glance before he gently took the book from her hands. Suddenly he was no longer Splinter but Hamato Yoshi reliving the past.

"She came to me. Told me it was time I knew the truth," Karai mumbled feeling small under Splinter's gaze when he looked up at her.

"What is that sensei?" Raph asked curiously.

It took a minute for Splinter to gather himself before he said, "this journal belonged to my beloved wife. I had thought it burned with the rest of our belongings in the fire."

All of the teens went quiet sending their home into an uncomfortable silence. What could they possibly say to all of this?

It was Master Splinter who eventually looked up at Karai sadly and said, "come with me child."

Karai quickly followed after Splinter out of the room feeling nervous about being alone with the man. The others were left behind to wonder about where they were supposed to go from here.

…

Karai quietly followed after Splinter desperately trying to think of something to say. After all there were no books in Shredder's library on how one strikes up a conversation with their long lost father/lifelong enemy. She was so lost in her thoughts that she had no idea that Splinter was leading her into his private chambers. It wasn't until the sensei stooped walking that she looked up to see Splinter staring longingly at the book in his hands.

"It was a gift for her birthday," Splinter said suddenly making Karai jump.

She looked up at the former human looking nervous as he gave her a warm smile.

"I first met Tang Shen while we were in high school. She wanted to become a writer…create stories that would inspire people to move mountains. I gave her that journal for her birthday so that she could have a safe place to let her mind wander," Splinter explained.

Karai couldn't help the smile on her face as she pictured the woman in her dreams scribbling away in the journal. She imagined her mother being so passionate about every word she put to page.

"Do you like books?" Splinter asked the silent girl.

Hesitantly Karai nodded her head for she replied, "I grew up with a large library…Shredder often told me that he would never understand why I couldn't focus more on my fighting and less on my female indulgences."

When the girl saw Splinter's body stiffen she thought perhaps bringing up the man's former best friend was a bad idea.

"How dare he?" Splinter hissed.

"It's really not a big deal," Karai said unsure how to feel about the man's sudden anger.

"No!" Splinter said sternly.

"He should not have looked down on the one thing that connected you to your mother," the former human explained looking upset.

Karai couldn't help a smug smirk before she replied, "we were never close…Fact is he wanted a son and he resented me for not being one. There was a time where I really did want to make him proud but after a while it just felt like I was beating on a dead dog. Long story short, I decided the only person's approval I need is mine."

In an instant all of Splinter's rage disappeared and was replaced by an amused look on his face before he chuckled, "you are Tang Shen's daughter."

Karai couldn't help the swell of pride from the comment . There was nothing the girl wanted more then to make her late mother proud.

"I only saw her for a few minutes in my dreams…she was amazing," Karai admitted suddenly craving her mother's embrace like a small child.

"If you would like I could guide you through meditation into the spirit realm. I've done it a few times and have even spoken to Tang Shen…however it is cruel…we can never touch," Splinter said looking defeated.

"I would be honored…father," Karai replied in a quiet voice.

A shocked Splinter look up into the sad yet hopeful eyes of his long lost daughter. Before either one of them knew it the former human had his arms wrapped around the teenager embracing her tightly.

"I cannot tell you how long I've waited to hear that word from your lips," Splinter whispered before he began stroking his daughter's soft black hair.

Karai was over come with emotions. She couldn't remember the last time she had felt so safe being held like this. The Shredder had done everything in his power to make her hard, in his mind she was his soldier not his daughter. However it wasn't until she looked over Splinter's shoulder and saw the family portrait that tears began to fall down her face. She wept out of rage for the life she had lived and wept out of sadness for the life she could have had.

…

April sat on the couches with the turtles listening to Maya hum with her hands on either side of Casey's head. Slowly but surely the boy was beginning to feel better as the mermaid sang her hypnotic melody.

"You are my favorite person in the world right now Gidget," Casey commented as he sighed in relief feeling the pain in his head and the bruises on his neck disappear.

Maya smiled at the boy before she replied, "you are most welcome Casey."

Raph who had been listening looked over in their direction before he said, "Ya cause its not like me and Mikey saved ya from a giant tiger or anything Jones."

"Don't be like that dude…"

Before Casey could finish his sentence the sound of his ring tone filled the room. Without hesitation Casey picked up his phone only to quickly regret when he realized who was calling. Everyone in the room winced when they heard the sound of a man yelling on the other end.

"Sorry dad…ya I know it's late but…I swear I'll explain when I get home…no I wasn't in a fight again just some drunk talking trash at the bus station…I swear on mom's grave I didn't pick a fight with a drunk hobo…see you soon dad," Casey said before he hung up the phone.

"Oh crap I'm in trouble," the teen sighed.

"Do not worry Casey. We can all share a cab so your father is none the wiser. I'm sure Isla could even call as an appreciative mother," Maya said trying to comfort her friend.

For a split second Casey looked surprised before he said, "I keep forgetting my friends can read minds. Thanks Gidget, my dad gets more nervous then a chiwawa sometimes."

"And for good reason Casey Jones. You are a magnet for trouble child," Splinter commented as he walked back into the room with Karai at his side.

The teens all looked over at the sensei and his daughter suddenly feeling very uncomfortable. Maya decided she wanted the evening to end on a happier and slowly got up and approached Splinter and Karai.

The mermaid smiled at Master Splinter giving him him a quick nod. Maya then turned to Karai with a kind smile on her face much to the other girl's surprise. The mermaid gently rested her hands on her former tormentor's shoulders.

"Welcome home lost girl," Maya said giving Karai's shoulders a gentle squeeze.

Karai couldn't believe what was happening. She had nearly killed this girl and yet here she was being the first to welcome her with open arms.

"You have got to be kidding me?" Raph said with a mixture of anger and shock.

"After what she did to you…you stopped breathing because of her!" Raph screamed looking furious.

Maya turned to Raph before she calmly replied, "You need not remind this one Raphael. She was there."

Mikey couldn't help chuckling at Maya's comment. He knew that Maya could never believe in holding grudges. She could read people's hearts just as well as she could read their minds. If they were truly remorseful then they were worthy of forgiveness for their actions, it was that simple.

"I'm serious Maya. We almost didn't get you back because of her and you just welcome her with open arms, why?" The red masked turtle demanded.

Maya looked at Raph calmly and gave him an understanding smile before she replied, "forgiveness is medicine to both the forgiver and the forgiven."

The room was sent into silence before Mikey got up and stood on Karai's other side. He turned to Raph before he said, "she's right bros. If we can't show a little compassion to people who need it most, then we're no better then Shred head."

The orange masked turtle turned to Karai with a smirk on his face and gave her a friendly wink before he added, "besides she's family."

Karai didn't know what to say. She was overwhelmed by the pair that she had to hold back her emotions as she whispered, "thank you."

Mikey smiled brightly before he wrapped Karai in a hug and said, "We got your back dudette. I've always wanted a big sister."

Donny who had been quiet stood up reluctantly and said, "Can't believe I'm saying this but…team M&amp;M is right. Grudges were what destroyed this family from the start, enough is enough."

The purple masked turtle turned to Karai and bowed his head to her before she said, "it may take some time but I think I can come to trust you."

Casey managed to stand up with his bag before he said, "after what you did to my friend, you ain't my favorite girl in this room."

The black haired teen then walked over to Karai before he held out his hand to her and added, "that said if Gidget says you're cool then I'm willing to give you a shot."

Hesitantly Karai shook the boy's hand as she looked at him in surprise. Behind him stood April smiling and nodding her head in agreement.

Karai nodded her head in return not able to speak partly because she was speechless, the other part because Mikey was still squeezing the life out of her. She looked over at Leo who smiled at her warmly as he gave her a thumb up.

"On that note Casey Jones needs to get home to get grounded for a month," Casey said looking at the time on his phone.

"I will call your father and commend him on raising such a fine upstanding citizen," Splinter assured the teen in an amused tone.

"To many big words he'll think I paid you," Casey joked as he turned to leave with April and Maya.

"Good night guys," April called out as Maya waved farewell.

Raph had been watching his family and friends in shock. He couldn't wrap his head around the fact that they were just going to let this happen. She may be Splinter's daughter but Raph just couldn't ignore the fact that she was raised by the Shredder.

Feeling an over whelming amount of rage consume him, Raph got up to leave. The Hamato family turned when they heard the red masked turtle punch a wall as he left the room.

Leo was about to go after his brother when he was stopped by a hand on his shoulder. The blue masked turtle looked up to see his father giving him a soft smile.

…

Raph went straight to his happy place, the punching bag. It wasn't long before he started whaling on it throwing all of his anger and frustration at it.

He hated that his family was trusting Karai so blindly. It scared the hell out of him that this might be all a trick. Raph was having visions of his family laying in pools of blood with permanent looks of hurt and betrayal on their faces.

The turtle growled before slamming his fist into the punching bag.

_'I will never let that happen' _Raph promised himself as he continued venting.

"I am curious Raphael. What has the punching done to earn such harsh treatment?"

Raph jumped in surprise when he heard his father's voice . He looked up at Splinter before dropping his gaze in shame.

"Hey sensei," Raph said.

Splinter said nothing as he walked over to his son and cupped the turtle's chin forcing him to look up at him. However Raph refused to look into his father's eyes.

"Why do you hesitate to look at me Raphael?" Slinter asked gently.

The red masked turtle continued to stare at the ground as he mumbled, "because I know you're disappointed with me."

Splinter was quiet for a moment before he said, "that's quite the accusation my son."

"I'm the only one that can't accept that Karai has switched sides…I must look like a jealous ungrateful brat," Raph replied clenching his fists.

"Raphael look at me," Splinter demanded in a tone that left no room for defiance.

When the turtle finally looked up at his father's gaze Splinter said, "I am not disappointed nor am I angry."

"You should be," Raph mumbled.

"Everyone seems so sure and happy to see your daughter come home. Even Maya is welcoming her with open arms…I'm the only one who can't seem to wrap my head around the fact that she might have really changed. I'm not being a very supportive son," Raph ranted.

Splinter listened to his son while stroking his beard thoughtfully. When Raphael was done speaking Splinter stopped and stared at his son as if studying him.

Finally the sensei replied, "I recall hearing similar words regarding your brother and a certain mermaid."

Raph couldn't help flinching as he remembered how he treated Maya when they first met.

"What you perceive as being unsupportive is in fact fear. You hide it well Raphael but you live in a constant state if fear, " Splinter explained to his son.

"I'm not scared sensei I'm angry," Raph argued.

"And what is it I wonder that causes that anger?" Splinter replied .

Raph was silent before his father explained, "my son you have a very human trait of expressing your fear through anger so as not to appear weak. You were scared when you first realized we were different from humans and their fear of anything different made them dangerous. You were scared when your easily trusting little brother befriended someone after being taken advantage of once before. You are scared now for your family to accept a former enemy."

The red masked turtle flinched as Splinter spoke nothing but truth. Raph didn't want his father or his brothers to know he was scared for them. He'd rather be seen as angry and mean then scared and weak.

"Raphael what you are feeling is not wrong and we don't think you weak for it. However if you could honor your selfish father to at least try for his sake to see past your fear and to see the potential for good…I would be grateful," Splinter said.

Raph looked up at his sensei and replied, "Master Splinter I'm pretty sure you are anything but selfish."

Splinter couldn't help smiling at his son's words.

"I can't make any promises father but I'll try. I don't want to make the same mistake I did when Maya first started hanging around Mikey," Raph added remembering how much he hurt his little brother by rejecting someone he cared about.

Suddenly the turtle found himself wrapped in his father's arms. As much as he'd like to think he'd grown out of needing his father's affection, it was always something he secretly loved.

"Thank you my son," Splinter said gratefully.

* * *

All done for now don't forget to review the lady!


	34. Chapter 34

Look at me go! I've had this chapter in my head for a while so I'm pretty excited about it. Enjoy!

* * *

Karai sat on the couch rubbing her hands along her thighs. It was day three without her cell phone and it made her feel both liberated and anxious. She had broken it shortly after she disappeared from the Shredder. Donatello had noticed the girl pacing shortly after her arrival. After she had explained what was bothering her, Donny suggested he make her a new one. He assured her it would be highly secured so that she could not be traced by anyone outside of the Hamato clan.

Needless to say she quickly took him up on his offer although she was shocked by it. Ever since her arrival everyone, including Leo, had been walking on eggshells around her…well almost everyone that is. Splinter had gone out of his way to try and find a few quiet moments where he could spend time alone with his daughter. Usually it was having tea early in the morning or meditating in the evening. Mikey had become the ever doting little brother towards her. The youngest turtle had made it his life's mission to get Karai to laugh in hopes of making her feel more at home. He even invited her along to prank the others. Unfortunately for the turtles Karai was almost as good at pranks as Mikey.

Karai had fallen into the big sister role instantly with the youngest turtle. Mikey was full of life and lit up the room where ever he went. It was no wonder the others were so protective of the orange masked turtle and she was not far behind.

However Karai quickly noticed that where Mikey lit up everyone else's world, Maya lit up his. Nothing could make Mikey smile brighter then seeing his beloved friend walk into the room. She had been the first to welcome Karai into their lives and she still felt unworthy of the honor.

The human girl, although grateful, had no idea how to behave around the mermaid. This was someone she had nearly tortured to death yet Maya treated her like an old friend. Karai swore that she would find a way to repay the girl's kindness.

As Karai sat deep in thought, the sounds of stomping filled the room. The girl looked up to see Maya and April looking less then pleased as they collapsed onto the couch beside Karai's seat.

Karai couldn't help giggling at the miserable expressions on the two girls' faces.

"Dress shopping not going well?" Karai asked in an amused tone.

"I hate dresses, I hate shopping, and most of all I hate snotty sales people," April replied sounding both angry and exhausted.

Karai took one look at Maya's defeated expression and the feeling of anger began to rise in her as well.

"What happened?" Karai asked trying to sound calm.

Maya looked up hesitantly before she replied with a weak smile, "well we found a lovely dress for April."

April watched in slight amusement as a look crossed Karai's face that reminded the red head of the one Master Splinter gave whenever he knew someone was hiding something from him.

"Did you not see a dress you liked?" Karai said in a 'don't lie to me' tone.

Maya gave a nervous laugh before she explained, "it was a lovely dress but it was very expensive and did not fit this one well."

April stomped her foot on the ground before she hissed angrily, "Correction. That stupid cow wearing clown make up told Maya she looked like a twelve year old playing dress up. She then proceeded to tell Maya that she couldn't possibly be able to afford a dress like that anyway."

"Excuse me," Karai replied looking calm but her eyes were filled with rage.

"The worst part is that it's Friday night, the dance is tomorrow and Maya has nothing to wear," April ranted furiously.

"Really this is not a horrible tragedy. This one will wear a dress she has," Maya replied trying to calm her friend down.

"Absolutely not Maya. This is your first dance, I won't allow it," April said leaving no room for argument.

Karai had to agree with April on this. It seemed to mean a lot to the mermaid and Karai felt like she owed it to the girl to fix this for her.

As the two girls argued, Karai slipped away and made her way down the hall. She knew everyone was out except two and one was currently making her a phone. It was a long shot but she'd take it. She knocked on the bedroom door and waited until finally he answered the door.

"What the hell do you want Karai?" Raph said looking as if he had just woken up from a nap.

"Sorry to bother you but I need a favor," Karai said casually.

Raph raised an eyebrow at the small girl before he replied, "why would you come to me for a favor?"

"Mostly because nobody else is home and I figured if I said it was for Maya then you'd cave," Karai explained honestly.

Raph looked like he wanted to argue but couldn't seem to find anyway to fight her on that.

"You've got five minutes. Start talking," Raph replied as he crossed his arms and leaned against his door.

"Long story short...Maya needs a dress for tomorrow. April said she found one she liked but some bitch basically tore the kid's self-esteem through a wood chipper," Karai explained before she watched as Raph's eye twitched.

"What I need from you is to borrow your phone. Just need to make a couple of calls and you can be right beside me when I make them. I've got nothing to hide," Karai said.

Raph tapped his fingers against his arm for a few minutes before he said, "One thing I gotta know though. Why you doin' this for her?"

Karai looked uncomfortable for a minute before she replied, "After everything I did and the all the innocent people I hurt, even Leo was giving up on me. But Maya…I almost kill her and all she cares about is getting me home…nobody ever cared about me like that."

"Not even Daddy Splinter," Raph replied.

Karai couldn't help the empty chuckle before she pointed to her black eye and said, "this is how daddy shows how much he cares."

"I got this for questioning his orders," Karai explained.

Raph was taken back by the response. He knew Shredder had no honor, but this…

"…don't tell father or the others…nobody asked any questions but I think they have their suspicions," the girl added.

The red masked turtle nodded his head. As he invited the girl into his room to use his phone, a feeling of guilt started to build in his gut. In all of time he thought of Karai being raised by Shredder, he never once thought that she may have been mistreated.

It took maybe half an hour for Karai to finish making her calls. After the last one, the girl sighed in relief to be done with it.

"Thanks," Karai said handing Raph back his phone.

"You're welcome," Raph replied quickly feeling awkward with the girl in his room.

Karai started to walk towards the door to leave but when her hand reached the door knob she stopped. She stared at the door as if frozen before hesitantly turning to Raph.

"Hey. I know this hasn't been an easy thing for anybody but I also know this was really hard for you...I just wanted to say thank you," Karai said.

Raph looked up at her in surprise and confusion before he asked, "For what?"

Karai smiled at him before she replied, "For trying. Giving me a chance to do something right for a change."

With that Karai opened the door to leave and started to walk into the hallway.

Just before she closed the door she added, "just you know…I'm trying to."

After the door closed Raph stared at it for what felt like hours. His mind was a mess about Karai being here. Since she had arrived Raph had been avoiding her like the plague. After this little stunt though he didn't know what to think.

He thought about what she said though and it made him happy to be acknowledged. He had tried just now to give her the benefit of the doubt and was rewarded for his efforts. Maybe just maybe if they both kept this up then perhaps they could at least meet half way.

…

After the day they had, April and Maya decided to go back to April's place for a girl night. Maya still felt defeated in her search to find a dress and April was still mad beyond belief that someone had the gull to make her feel that way. The girls had opted to watching a Full house marathon. April had told Maya that it was her favorite show growing up and thought it might cheer her friend up.

So far it seemed to be working. Maya had gotten lost in the show finding it both amusing and heartwarming.

***Ring***

Both girls jumped when they heard Maya's phone going off on the coffee table. The mermaid quickly picked up her phone to see that Mikey was the one that was calling her. Without missing a beat Maya answered the call while April paused their show.

"_You_ are interrupting our show sir," Maya teased.

She couldn't help smiling as she heard Mikey chuckling on the other end of the call before he replied, "Forgive me m'lady. I'm just calling to pass on a message and then April gets to hog you all to herself for the night."

"You're on speaker Mikey," April replied casually.

The orange masked turtle was awkwardly silent for a few moments before he started chuckling nervously.

"Heh…sorry April," Mikey said.

"Ya ya make it quick Mikey so that I can get back to hogging your girlfriend," April teased before grabbing for the popcorn in her in her lap.

"Ruuuuuuuuuude," the orange masked turtle whined making the girls giggle.

"Anyway…you two need to be up and ready by nine am sharp," Mikey explained.

April and Maya gave each other a confused look before April asked, "uh why?"

"That's when you're ride will be there duh. You two are gonna have a busy day tomorrow so don't stay up to late. Oh and bring your dress with you April," the turtle said.

"Mikey what is going on?" Maya asked.

"Oh I can't tell you that May. That would ruin the surprise. Night night and sleep tight," Mikey teased before he hung up the phone.

As Maya hung up the phone she turned to April with a smile on her face.

…

The next morning both girls were up and dressed. April had just pulled her dress out from the closet when the doorbell rang. The red head quickly opened answered the door only to have her eyes widen in surprise at what was waiting on the other side of the door.

"Good Morning. Miss O'Neill I presume," a smiling man in a suit said.

Behind the man was a gorgeous stretch limo. Maya went to the door and her jaw dropped when she saw their ride.

"May I help you with your dress miss?" the limo driver offered.

"Umm yes please," April replied getting over her shock before she and Maya made their way to the beautiful car.

Once they were inside the limo the driver began driving down the street. The girls stared out the window watching everything they passed. It was amazing they had seen these buildings over a million times but for some reason being in a limo made it feel like they were seeing them for the first time.

"So where are we headed first?" Maya asked the driver.

The driver smiled before he answered, "I'm under strict orders to keep everything a surprise, sorry."

"Really? And to who do we owe this surprise to?" the red head asked not really expecting answer.

"All I can say is that she wished to remain anonymous," the driver replied giving April the biggest hint possible.

Shortly after the driver pulled into a parking lot he turned the car off before getting out to open the door for his passengers. The girls stepped out of the limo to see that they were in front of a restaurant and a nice one at that.

"You have reservations under your names. I shall be here when you are done," the driver said.

The girls went inside and were blown away by just how nice the restaurant was on the inside. They enjoyed an amazing meal that had already been paid for much to their shock.

After breakfast the driver took them to their next stop. Both girls thought they had died and gone to heaven when they realized they were at a spa. The pair were spoiled rotten getting their nails, makeup and hair done.

By the end of the day April had her hair down in curls with her sides pulled back. She had light makeup on her face and her nails painted a light pink. Her dress was a sunflower yellow spaghetti strap dress that stopped at her knees and sandals with a small heel on them.

Maya had her hair in a topsy tail braid. Her nails were painted clear with very light makeup on. However she was still wearing a casual skirt and t-shirt with sneakers.

"May I'm so sorry we couldn't find you a dress," April commented solemnly as she walked out the dressing room.

Maya smiled at her friend before she replied, "I dunno…I think the hair and makeup dress it up a bit don't you think?"

"Well I think so…then again I walk around in armor," a voice said making the girls jump.

Maya and April turned around to see none other than Karai standing before them holding something in her hands.

"Uh hey," the girl said feeling awkward.

"I had a feeling you were behind this," April commented as she crossed her arms with a smile on her face.

Karai shuffled her feet before she replied, "ya well…I suck at apologizing so I figured this might be the next best thing."

"Anyway I'm no good at being a girl but this might be more up your alley," Karai said handing Maya the bag she was holding.

Maya gave Karai a surprised look before she opened the bag and pulled out what was inside looking shocked.

"It's beautiful…thank you," Maya said giving Karai a big smile.

Karai couldn't help smiling as she watched the girl twirl her gift around looking so happy. She didn't notice April walk up to her until the red head had a hand on her shoulder.

"You did good…I'm impressed," April commented.

"Thanks," Karai replied feeling like for the first time in her life she actually did something right.

"Little over the top but I'm not complaining," April teased earning a playful glare from the other girl.

Karai shrugged her shoulders before she said, "I've been getting paid since I was five for being Shredder's soldier. I never felt the need to buy more than the necessities so I have a decent nest egg kicking around…she needed this more than I needed the money."

"You're right she did and this was amazing…but you know you don't have to buy us. Just keep trying like you have been and that's all anybody can ask of you. Understand?" April said.

Karai nodded her head before she replied, "I do and thanks."

A crash made April and Karai turn their heads in the direction of where Maya had just been. The girl popped up off the floor holding her dress and looking a little dizzy.

"That's it! You're cut off from twirling! Now get your butt in that dress and let's go," April said walking over to Maya to get her into her dress.

…

Casey's dad had offered to drive the kids to the school and Kirby would get them home. As soon as they pulled up to April's building , Casey got out to meet the girls at the apartment.

It was April's dad who buzzed him in before he made his way upstairs. However it was April who opened the door making the boy's jaw drop. The red head was having a similar reaction to seeing Casey in a suit and tie with his hair gelled out of his face.

"You clean up nice Jones," April greeted before letting the boy in.

"You don't look bad yourself Red," Casey replied as he gave the girl a smirk.

April gave a mock curtsey before the soft sounds of footsteps were heard. Both April and Casey turned to see Maya in her champagne colored princess v neck dress. The modest dress stopped at her knees revealing her matching sparkly flats. At the salon the stylist had decided to add little gold flowers in Maya's hair to match her dress making the tiny girl look like a little pixie rather than a mermaid.

"Awe you're adorable Gidget," Casey said pulling the smaller girl into a hug.

Maya giggled as she hugged her date back before the sounds of more footsteps came from the kitchen and rounded the corner.

"Alright look pretty. I'm under strict orders to get as many pictures of you guys as possible," Karai said holding up her new phone.

The girl noticed the shocked look on Casey's face before she said, "I know. It's weird watching me do normal people things to."

"It's uh…good to see you...weird but good," Casey replied quickly.

Karai nodded her head towards the boy appreciating his honesty before she said, "glad we settled the pleasantries. Now less talk more posing."

Nobody could tell if Karai or Kirby had taken the most pictures. By the end of the photo shoot April, Casey and Maya were seeing flashes everywhere. At last though it was time for the teens to go. They girls glomped Karai, catching the girl off guard.

"Thanks for everything," Maya whispered into the girl's ear.

Both of the girls pulled away before they started out the door. Before Casey could get to far Karai pulled on the boy's arm forcing him to turn to her.

"For the record I'm sure you don't need this talk but I like to iron out details in my plans. I like them…treat them any less than perfect and I take you out," Karai said in a deadly calm voice.

Casey smirked before he replied, "take a number princess. I got like an entire pod, a clan of mutants ahead of you, and at the very front of that line is my old man."

"Long story short I'm a good boy," Casey added before he took his arm back and followed the girls out to the car.

…

Maya's eyes lit up like a Christmas tree as they walked into the gym. The decorations were simple dollar store balloons and streamers along with some string lights. To most people it looked like a typical formal school dance but for Maya it was a whole new experience.

"This one could not have ever conceived anything so beautiful," she commented in awe.

"Says the girl whose fascinated by bubbles," Casey teased.

April promptly punched Casey in the arm before glaring at him.

"Easy Red. Gidget knows I'm kidding," Casey replied rubbing his arm.

Before April could say anything else, they were quickly surrounded by other teens that they knew.

Casey noticed his 'date' looking overwhelmed by all of the people around them.

He leaned in close to her ear before he said, "ready to go raid that buffet table?"

Maya quickly nodded her head and let Casey guide her away from the crowd. April and a few of the teens watched as Casey and Maya left.

"Never thought I'd say it but Casey is kind of hot when he's being a gentleman," April's friend Irma commented in surprise.

"Seriously? You hate the guy," April replied.

"I think they make an adorable couple. The misunderstood bad boy and the shy girl next door," another girl swooned.

Her date rolled his eyes before he said, "I don't think they're like that."

"How would you know Kyle?" the blond asked with her arms crossed.

"Becky, I've seen him act the same way with his baby sister at the ice rink," the boy named Kyle replied.

April stayed quiet as she listened to the people around her talk about her friends. Regardless of the fact that it was platonic, Casey and Maya were the most talked couple at the dance. The green monster seemed to be getting the best of her again as she watched them.

"You okay April?" Irma whispered to the red head.

April looked at her friend surprised before she replied, "me pfft yeaaa, having the time of my life here."

Irma gave her friend a deadpanned expression before she asked, "you can't seriously be jealous of that hot mess, can you?"

Both girls turned to see the couple in question on the dance floor. It was by far the most horrendous mash up of dance moves ever. It was like watching a bad car crash.

From the sprinkler, the shopping cart, and the pop and lock to the chicken wing, the SpongeBob and the wave. They did all the moves to the time warp, the single ladies song, and even hammer time. It was awful.

As bad as it was, April still couldn't help thinking that she wished it was her.

…

Maya and Casey were out of breath by the end of the YMCA song. The mermaid noticed everyone staring at them.

"Did we do something odd?" Maya asked nervously.

"You kiddin'? We were majestic," Casey replied as they left to go get a drink.

After they got some water, the dynamic dancing duo went to sit at a table. Maya seemed quite content watching the other couples but she felt her chest tighten. More then anything else she wanted to be with Mikey.

Casey watched his date knowingly for a bit before he cleared his throat and said, "I'm sorry I ain't Mikey."

Maya quickly turned to Casey and said, "it is alright. This one is enjoying herself here with her friends."

"It doesn't feel right though does it?" Casey asked giving her an understanding look.

The mermaid hung her head in shame before she replied, "No."

Without another thought Casey grabbed Maya's hand and started making his way the exit. As they did, Casey pulled out his phone and sent a quick text to April.

"Where are we going?" Maya asked in surprise.

"I may not be able to be with the one I like tonight but that doesn't mean that you can't be," Casey explained.

…

It had been a quiet night on patrol for the Hamato siblings. They had all agreed that they should turn in early and catch a movie.

It wasn't hard to see that Mikey was distracted without Maya. The youngest turtle knew it was silly to be feeling like this but he still wanted so much to be the one that took Maya to things like a school dance.

It was in the middle of whatever Donny had picked for a movie that he heard running. He felt a gentle tug in his mind to get up and turn around. When he did he could feel his heart thumping in his chest.

He was speechless when he saw Maya all dressed up. In his mind she looked like the most beautiful person in the entire universe.

"Maya is everything alright?" Leo asked instantly on high alert.

"Where the hell are Casey and April?" Raph asked before their friends came running in.

Mikey and Maya hadn't heard a word anybody said. As far as they were concerned they were the only people in the room.

"Shouldn't you be up there having fun?" Mikey asked.

"It was fun but it did not feel right without my beloved," Maya explained bluntly making the orange masked turtle smile.

"It is hard to have an awesome party without the Mikester," Mikey teased making the smaller girl chuckle.

"It is also difficult to enjoy a party when all this one wanted to do was this…"

Maya got up as high as she could on her tippy toes before she gently placed a kiss on Mikey's lips. It was quick and sweet before she pulled away to see a surprised look on Mikey's face.

Everybody watched on in shock. The pair stared at each other for a moment before Mikey did something unexpected.

Without a word Mikey lifted Maya up in the air before he pulled her into a kiss. This seemed to surprise the mermaid at first but she quickly got comfortable and kissed back. Maya rested her hands on either side of Mikey's face as he held her.

The rest of their family and friends could do nothing but watch in shock. Karai smiled warmly before she looked over to see Leo ready to cry beside her.

_'I am a strong ninja warrior. I will not cry,'_ Leo thought to himself.

Without realizing it however, tears were already streaming down his face when Karai nudged him with the box of tissues.

The girl quickly grabbed a tissue for herself before she handed it to Leo and said, "pass it along."

Leo gave Karai a confused look before he looked over at his brothers. They had all turned into a blubbering mess as he had.

Silently the oldest turtle passed the tissues to Raph before he silently passed it on to Donny.

It became an unspoken agreement between all watching they would never speak of this after tonight.

* * *

All done for now don't forget to review the lady!


	35. Chapter 35

CURSE YOU WRITER'S BLOCK! I have defeated it none the less so yay! Anyway on with the story

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Splinter had decided that all of his pupils would train today. It was one on one matches that Splinter had paired up. Raph had promptly kicked Casey's butt in hand to hand combat before it was Maya and Karai's turn. The human had been curious to see how the mermaid was in combat and everyone else was just curious to see how the match would turn out.

The room was silent as the two girls bowed to one another.

"Hajime!" Splinter shouted.

Suddenly both warriors exploded into battle. Maya used her narwhal tusks to block Karai's katana before she dropped into a sideways split and spun her legs to kick Karai's feet from under her. Karai yelped in surprise as she fell to the floor but was caught even more off guard when her eyes focused on the business ends of Maya's sharp weapons.

"This one is the victor of this match," Maya said confidently.

Karai only smiled up at the girl before she replied, "sorry, not this time."

Maya tilted her head in confusion before her opponent suddenly pulled the tusks towards her. Karai then pressed her foot into the mermaid's stomach before throwing her over her head. Maya landed hard against the wall but quickly recovered and got to her feet. However when she stood up she quickly found a katana being aimed at her chest.

"Any last words?" Karai teased.

Maya smiled before she sweetly said, "heads up."

Karai was prepared for a lot of things in a match. A giant water bubble falling on top of her and trapping her inside was not one of them.

"Yame!" Splinter said ending the match.

Both girls turned to Splinter who stood up with a proud smile.

"Well done both of you. I am very impressed," the sensei said making both girls smile.

Poor Splinter had to try to keep a straight face however when he said, "Maya would you kindly…pop Miwa's bubble."

Everyone else burst out laughing while Maya tilted her head to the side in confusion before she realized Karai was still trapped. The mermaid quickly popped the bubble before catching Karai.

"Many apologies. This one's intention was not to keep you trapped," Maya said horrified that she forgot about her opponent so quickly.

Karai couldn't help laughing before she looked up at Maya and chuckled, "you literally and figuratively popped my bubble twice in one fight."

"And this is amusing somehow?" Maya asked in confusion.

Karai nodded her head before ruffling the smaller girl's hair affectionately.

As they sat down to watch the next match Casey leaned over to Karai and whispered, "Welcome to the loser's corner. At least we didn't get mangled the way Donny did against April."

Karai bit her lip to stifle a laugh as she looked over at her brooding little brother. She felt a little bad for the guy. Casey lost to an experienced fighter, Karai lost to a different style of fighting but poor Donny was an experienced ninja that lost to a young student and his crush no less.

"Last but not least. Leonardo and Michelangelo," Splinter instructed before he patiently waited for them to ready themselves.

Leo and Mikey got up before making their way to the sparing mat. The orange masked turtle looked over to Maya and blew her a kiss before he turned to his brother. The oldest turtle couldn't help looking over at Karai briefly before focusing on Mikey.

The blue masked turtle had long since gotten over his crush on their former enemy. It wasn't long after they brought Karai home that Leo realized he loved her the same way he loved April, she was family. That didn't mean however that he didn't want to impress her, after all Leo couldn't deny he liked showing off.

The oldest and youngest turtle bowed to each other before beginning their match.

"Hajime!" Splinter called once again.

At first the two brothers just circled each other watching each other's movements. At last Leo decided to attack and ran at his youngest. Mikey quickly dodged his opponent before he pulled a red blanket out of nowhere and held it out in front him.

"What the hell are ya doin' with my blanket Mikey?" Raph demanded from his seat beside Maya who was trying not to giggle.

"Toro!" the orange masked turtle cried ignoring his red masked brother.

Leo looked at his brother in annoyance before he said, "Mikey knock it off and fight serious."

The orange masked turtle immediately stood up straight and looked at Maya before giving her a smirk. The mermaid pressed her lips together to try and keep from laughing.

"You want serious bro?" Mikey asked still smirking.

Leo cocked an eye at his youngest brother as he watched Mikey swipe a hand over his face making it go from his signature smile to a deadpan serious expression on his face.

"It just got serial up in this dojo son," Mikey said in his batman voice.

Leo rolled his eyes before he attacked his brother again. Every move the oldest turtle made, Mikey somehow managed to dodge it. Quickly getting frustrated Leo sent blow after blow at him. However Mikey was dodging every single one with break dance moves wearing that stupid serious look on his face.

Mikey quickly noticed his big brother getting tired but kept up his defensive technique, waiting for the right moment to strike. Finally when Mikey noticed Leo hesitate slightly, the orange masked turtle went in for the kill. All it took was one well aimed roundhouse kick and Leo was on his back.

"Yame!" Splinter cried ending the match.

"Leonardo. You underestimated your opponent my son. Michelangelo...please try to be a bit more serious," Splinter scolded his sons lightly.

Donny couldn't help smiling before he said, "Mikey wasn't fighting serious…Ya know, suddenly I don't feel so bad about my match."

If Leo wasn't embarrassed before, he was now when he could hear Karai giggling behind him.

"I've never had this much fun during training," the girl commented with a giant smile on her face making Splinter smile at the sight.

The oldest turtle couldn't help smiling along with them. Leo couldn't think of a time when he had seen either their former enemy or his sensei look that happy.

Mikey feeling pretty proud of himself, skipped over to Maya before dropping down in front of her with a big goofy smile on his face.

"Did ya see me? Did ya see me? Did ya?" Mikey asked bouncing up and down on his legs like an excited toddler.

Maya giggled before she grabbed Mikey's face and placed a soft kiss on his lips and said, "This one is most impressed by your strength beloved."

The orange masked turtle had a twitterpated look on his face before he said, "That was nice. Can I have another one?"

The mermaid happily complied giving the turtle another sweet kiss on the lips. This one lasting a little bit longer then the last.

When they pulled away they rested their foreheads against each other before Mikey said, "I swear I could do this all day, I love you and your kisses more than pizza."

Maya couldn't help blushing at the declaration before she replied, "This one's love for her beloved exceeds far beyond her desire to return to free waters."

The two teens went to go in for another kiss when the sound of someone clearing their throat got their attention. The pair turned around to see Splinter crossing his arms at them, behind him stood six shocked teenagers.

April was fanning herself from the romantic overload, Karai looked on approvingly, the three older turtles looked a little peeved and Casey just look stunned.

"Woh, I didn't think Mikey could love anything more than he loved pizza…I'm pretty sure he doesn't even like you guys as much as he likes pizza," Casey said looking over at Leo, Raph and Don.

Mikey looked around before he gave his family an annoyed look and said, "Can't a guy kiss his mate without getting the third degree?"

"I would prefer if you would declare your love in perhaps a more private setting," Splinter explained to his youngest.

"A little hard when you got the walking virgin alarms over there," Mikey said nodding his head towards his older brothers and Casey.

Leo, Raph, Don and Casey gave the youngest brother an annoyed look before Donny replied, "Look just because you're technically married doesn't mean that we're gonna let you make any merturtle babies anytime soon."

"You're finishing high school young lady!" Casey yelled at Maya while pointing his finger at her.

Maya tilted her head to the side before she asked, "You think that we wish to fulfill our vow?"

The four stared at each other before Leo replied, "Well we figured the kiss was the wedding part and not long after you two would want to do…other stuff."

Maya and Mikey looked at each other strangely before they both broke out into side splitting laughter. The pair looked like they had just heard the funniest joke on the planet and it was making the bros start to feel a little embarrassed.

"Forgive us…but that was funny. As this one has explained to Donatello, my body won't reach full maturity to experience a mating cycle for a few years. Since Mikey shares a link with me his body's maturity goes at the same rate as mine. Besides once we do reach maturity, there is literally no force in the universe that will keep us from mating," Maya explained.

Raph couldn't help looking smug at the tiny girl before he said, "I think the odds are in our favor little girl."

Maya looked at the red masked turtle innocently before she replied, "our minds will go into a primal state of vicious lust that will destroy all in its path with incomparable power and strength until it is satiated from weeks of intercourse."

Everyone in the room stared at the mermaid as if she had just grown a second head. Even Master Splinter looked a little taken back by the information.

"I'm sorry. Did you say weeks?" April asked.

"Yes…we will be extremely fatigued but immensely satisfied," Maya explained casually.

Splinter began rubbing his eyes to hide how uncomfortable this conversation was making him before he said, "and we are ending this conversation now."

"Get yourselves ready for patrol," Splinter commanded the teens before he left for his room.

…

Mikey couldn't help rolling his eyes as he looked over to see that Raph was grouped with him and Maya for patrol that night. Even after Maya had explained that they had no interest in 'completing their vows', the bros were still protective as ever.

_'This whole babying the baby bro thing is getting old real fast'_ Mikey told Maya through their link.

'This one understands your frustration beloved but be patient with them. They are scared for you and want to protect you' Maya replied giving the turtle a sympathetic look.

The orange masked turtle looked annoyed before he glanced over to Raph who was a lot further behind the pair then he normally would. It was clear that the red masked turtle was trying to give the pair some privacy without letting them out of his sight. For Raph this was as close to him being considerate as he got while in big bro mode.

_'I'll cut the bros some slack'_ Mikey said giving the mermaid a smile as they covered ground.

_'Of course you will beloved. Your heart wouldn't allow for anything else'_ Maya replied in a teasing tone.

Mikey gave his mate an amused glare before he whined _'if I didn't know any better I'd say you were calling me a pushover.'_

_'This one is calling you a push over beloved'_ Maya teased as she stuck her tongue out at her mate.

The orange masked turtle gave the mermaid his best puppy dog eyes and pouty lip before he replied _'so mean.'_

Maya couldn't help chuckling before Raph yelled, "guys we need to catch up with Leo and Karai. They've got trouble."

…

Leo and Karai had agreed to pair up for patrol that night. The pair traveled in silence only daring small glances at one another every so often.

Finally it was Karai who had become irritated with the silence decided to break it.

"You seem distracted Leo. Penny for your thoughts?" Karai said.

Leo sighed before he replied, "I'm pretty sure I've got more thoughts then you have pennies."

"Try me," Karai said in a tone that reminded Leo of Splinter when he was in no mood for nonsense.

Leo continued to be silent but his expression clearly told of the battle going on in his head.

"It must be terrifying to have the responsibility you have. To hold yourself responsible for every cut, bruise and scar on their bodies," Karai said gently.

The oldest turtle looked up at her in before she added, "I can appreciate your position Leo. After all I am just beginning to understand what its like to have little brothers to care about. As much as they drive you nuts, you'd die a thousand deaths before letting anyone take them from you."

Leo gave a ghost of a smile before he replied, "That's definitely the golden rule…it gets harder now though. When we were little, they clung to me. Raph and I used to be really close and talk about everything, Donny would come to me to bounce ideas off of for his inventions, and Mikey…he had a super hero name for all of us…he always said I was his superman."

Karai couldn't help feel a bit jealous that he had missed out on this growing up. Regardless she smiled for Leo who was blessed enough to have it.

"Seems to me that nothing has changed," Karai replied.

Leo snorted bitterly before he replied, "Everything changed. Raph found Spike and started calling me 'Splinter's pet'. Donny goes to April for any tech help and barely talks to me, and Mikey…my baby brother that I looked out for the most. He went and grew up on me, he doesn't need his big brothers to protect him anymore. Hell the kid is married for crying out loud."

At this point Leo has his fists clenched with his eyes shut tight. Suddenly two gentle hands were on either side of his shoulders. Slowly Leo opened his eyes to see Karai giving him a giving him a gentle smile.

"I think you have things a bit confused Leo. Yes, you have all grown and maybe there will be a time you drift apart. However, speaking as your former enemy; nothing has changed. When you go into battle, your bond is stronger then your enemies. Raph is always by your side, Donny is listening intently for your guidance, and Mikey is never afraid of battle knowing you and the others are looking out for him," Karai explained.

Leo stared at Karai in surprise. He had never noticed this in his brothers before. It gave him confidence that he never had before.

"My point is no matter what changes those guys will always need their big brother…I have to confess I envy you for it. You guys love each other, trust and need each other…I have never known that feeling," Karai said.

Leo smiled brightly at the human girl before he rested his hands on top her hers.

"Well brace yourself because from here on out you are going to get a crash course in family time," Leo said with a chuckle.

Karai stared at Leo for another moment before she said, "There is something else on your mind. What is it?"

Leo suddenly blushed before he took a step back from Karai rubbing the back of his neck awkwardly.

"Well…its kind of weird to explain…" Leo said.

"Is this about the big crush you have on me?" Karai asked as she crossed her arms.

The turtle's eyes turned into saucers and his face turned red before he replied, "Well the thing is up until now I thought it was a crush. I liked you differently then I liked April so I figured it had to be a crush. I felt like we had a deep connection but at the same time, I never felt the urge to want to touch you or kiss you. Then we found out the truth and it all made sense. I love you the same way I love my brothers."

Karai couldn't help enjoying the warm feeling in her chest that came with being told that she was loved. Splinter and Mikey had said they loved her all the time but it never stopped causing the warm sensation. She hoped it never stopped in all honesty.

"I guess living in the sewers doesn't give you a chance to learn about different love," Karai teased.

Leo shook his head before he replied in an amused tone, "No not really."

The blue masked turtle then turned to Karai and said, "Thanks for the talk. It helped."

"What are big sisters for?" Karai replied with a smile.

Leo was about to say something else when he saw a reflection of light coming off a building behind Karai.

"Watch out!" Leo cried before pulling them both to the ground.

They narrowly missed being hit by a ninja star before the roof they were on became surrounded by foot soldiers. Leo quickly hit the panic button on his phone knowing Donny would get it and bring the others.

The pair were quickly on their feet and standing back to back. This was still more then enough time for the foot bots to start attacking them. Both Karai and Leo did their best to defend themselves and each other but the robots were merciless.

They didn't know how long they fought but it seemed like just as suddenly as they started, the robots stopped and stood straight as boards. Leo and Karai stood defensively but confused until they saw Tiger Claw step out of the darkness.

"Oh shell," Leo mumbled.

The massive beast stepped closer before he demanded, "Where are the rest of you disgusting reptiles?"

**_*whistle*_**

Tiger claw looked over to a shadowed area on his left before foot bots suddenly began to be pulled into the darkness. He growled angrily as his soldiers disappeared in the blink of an eye. He looked over to his right side to see the soldiers suddenly disappearing as well.

When at last all the foot bots disappeared, Donny, April and Casey came out of the shadows on the left. When Tiger Claw heard footsteps to his right he looked over to see a smug looking Raph along with team M&amp;M.

"So it is true then…you have betrayed Master Splinter," Tiger Claw declared.

Karai growled before she shouted, "It was he that betrayed me sixteen years ago!"

Suddenly fueled with rage, Karai sped off towards the massive tiger with katana in hand. With everything she had, Karai fought the mutant who only had time to block her attacks. The girl was moving so fast and so hard that Tiger Claw couldn't push her back enough to retaliate.

The others watched on wanting so much to join the battle but knew this was Karai's battle to fight. However when Tiger Claw got in a lucky shot sending the girl flying, they were forced to re-think their strategy.

"You silly girl. You think you can defeat me alone?" the beast roared as he stood over girl.

Karai watched in awe as a sai flew through the air stopping Tiger Claw's blade from coming down on the fallen girl.

"Who said she was alone?" Raph's voice growled menacingly.

It was silently agreed that although it was Karai's fight, she was coming back home in one piece by any means necessary.

Tiger Claw found himself surrounded by the teens. He was certain he could take these children on alone but he would not be able to carry out the rest of his master's plan without the foot bots. Finally he decided he would take out his rage on his opponents.

With a mighty growl he went to attack Karai first. However he didn't get far before he crumpled to the ground screaming in pain. He covered his ears in desperation as a high pitched scream filled the air.

As quickly as it started the sound stopped leaving the tiger's ears ringing painfully. He looked up to see a furious mermaid face aiming her weapons at him.

_'You will not harm this one's pod beast'_ Tiger Claw heard the girl say to him in his head.

Tiger Claw growled at her before the piercing sound filled his head once more as a warning.

With all the strength he had left, Tiger Claw turned his dark glare at Karai.

"You may have won but I will return for you. Master Shredder instructed me to tell you that he does not like his belongings taken from him," he hissed.

Karai looked furious before she replied, "You tell your master that I was never his thing."

With that the group took off into the night leaving Tiger Claw on the ground defeated.

* * *

All done for now don't forget to review the lady!


	36. Chapter 36

IT'S ALIVE! Yes I'm back and brought a new chapter with me! Thank you for the reviews that have come in while I've been busy they keep me motivated. Anyway enough about me on with the story!

* * *

Heavy footsteps could be heard moving quickly down the hallways of the Krang headquarters. It matched the heavy breathing coming from the mutant crocodile known as Leatherhead. He had spent months trying to escape and at last his opportunity had arrived.

_'I must get in contact with the turtles.' _He thought desperately.

Without any effort Leatherhead threw himself through a wall before he went flying through the air. With a painful thud, the croc got up and ran through the strange land that was known as Dimension X. Desperately, the mutant hid behind a patch of enormous crystals. When he was sure it was safe, Leatherhead turned his attention to the white sphere in his hand.

He quickly activated it and watched as small purple circles covered the pure white ball before he spoke into it.

"Turtles I need your help…you must come to Dimension X...the Krang have perfected the mutagen…they are about to-"

Suddenly screams filled the air as the Krang jumped Leatherhead. The emotionless creatures electrocuted the large crocodile until he fell motionless to the ground. None of the Krang noticed as the white sphere dropped from Leatherhead's hands and rolled off a few feet away.

…

The lair had been quiet after everything had gone down with bringing Karai home. The turtles were still getting used to having their long lost sister around and the feeling was mutual for their former enemy.

April and Casey tried to give the family space to get everything settled down which was much appreciated by the Hamato clan. Maya however was there as often as she could to support both Karai as a friend on top of supporting the turtles and Splinter as she would her pod. Having Maya around was an unusual distraction for the older turtles.

Leo, Raph and Donny were still protective as ever keeping an eye on the young couple. Team M&amp;M learned to live with being literally watched every moment by 'big brother' surveillance.

Today was one of those rare days, where Mikey and Maya had a moment of being alone together watching cartoons. Although they knew that the bros were never really that far away, the pair would take what they could get.

"Are you certain it is wise to watch the last episode without the others?" Maya asked as Mikey popped in the last VHS tape into the VCR.

"Ya you're probably right…that could end in the most ultimate shell wedgy known to man," Mikey said before shuddering.

Maya giggled before she replied, "this one could be wrong, but she does not think it is possible to pull a turtle's shell way up that far."

Mikey looked as though he was having a horrifying flashback before he looked at Maya solemnly and said, "trust me…it's a thing."

The mermaid couldn't help pitying her beloved turtle. She too knew the sting of being tortured by her big brothers.

"Well this one suggests then that you go retrieve your brothers and Karai if you desire to continue being able to walk straight," Maya said.

Mikey gave her his best puppy dog eyes before he whined, "Do we have to invite them. It's hard enough trying to find time to be alone without inviting them to supervise us."

Maya smiled before she gently kissed Mikey on the lips. As she did she said through their link _'We have our whole lives ahead of us to be alone beloved. However your family only has so long before we grow up on them. Let us enjoy it while it lasts.'_

Not able to argue with Maya's logic got up to go look for his brothers when all of a sudden shouting could be heard from the lab. The turtle and the mermaid looked at each other in surprise before they were both running as Mikey shouted for his brother.

When they got to the lab they found it filled to the brim with purple smoke and Donny staring at a triangular shaped doorway. Leo, Raph and Karai quickly ran in after before looking around in shock at what had happened.

Raph immediately looked at Mikey and Maya before he said, "What did you two do now?"

"We didn't do anything!…this time," Mikey exclaimed before mumbling the last part.

Karai couldn't help smirking before she said, "I dig the purple rain tribute you've got going on in here Donatello."

Donny gave her an irritated look as he walked over carrying six devices in his hands.

"Hardi har har," he said to her as he handed out the devices.

"These are oxygen tubes. Tuck the tube into your cheek and attach the box to your belts. I'm not sure if we'll be able to breathe the air from Dimension X that's coming through the portal," Donny explained.

"Wait back up. Are you telling us that portal leads to Dimension X?" Leo asked.

The purple masked turtle nodded his head before he replied, "Unlike the ones that took us to that dimensional subway station, this one looks like a direct route to Dimension X."

Before anyone could ask any more questions, the white sphere on Donny's desk began to light up with purple circles all over it. All six of the teens gathered around the ball just in time to see the head of a mutated alligator appear above it.

"What the hell is that?" Karai asked looking slightly terrified.

"Oh ya. Before Maya came along Mikey made friends with an eight foot tall crocodile with anger issues…specifically towards the Krang and Donny's face," Raph explained.

Karai raised an eyebrow at Raph before turning her gaze towards Mikey who looked surprised and relieved to see the alligator head.

"Leatherhead is alive," Mikey said in disbelief as Maya rested a hand on his shoulder and gave him a hopeful smile.

Silently the teens listened to the message before jumping at the sound of their friend's painful cries. Suddenly the message cut out leaving the group confused.

"What happened? Where's Leatherhead?" Mikey demanded.

Seeing her beloved's distress, Maya turned her upper body completely mermaid before she said _'He is in trouble. We must go to him before the Krang can hurt him any further.'_

"We can't just jump through the portal without knowing anything about where were going. We could be putting ourselves in danger in the process," Donny said.

"I agree. We need a plan," Leo concluded.

Everyone but Mikey and Maya nodded in agreement. Team M&amp;M watched as the others went over to Donny's desk to begin making a plan before the turtle and the mermaid turned back to each other.

_'Leatherhead might not have enough time for us to make a plan. He's my friend, I won't lose him again.' _Mikey said looking uncharacteristically serious.

_'As always this one is with you beloved.' _Maya replied grabbing Mikey's hand and squeezing it tight.

Mikey smiled as his mate before squeezing her hand back and nodding his hand. Without a second thought the pair ran through the portal still tightly holding each other's hands.

The turtles and Karai looked up just in time to see the tips of Mikey's mask disappear through the portal making their hearts stop instantly.

Raph was the first to shake himself of his stupor before he started running towards the portal followed by Karai and Leo.

"Donny come on we have to go after them!" Raph yelled over his shoulder.

"Wait we don't even know if the air is toxic in Dimension X-"

"There's no time Donny," Leo cut him off before he jumped into the portal after Karai and Raph.

The purple masked turtle took a deep breath before he followed after his siblings and jumped through the portal.

…

Going through the portal was a dizzying experience that made them all feel like they were going to be ill. As quickly as it started the siblings suddenly dropped onto solid ground in a pile before Donny realized that the portal had closed them off from their home. He began banging on the wall from where they came but it was useless, the portal wouldn't reopen.

"Uh guys…look," Leo said turning all of their attention to the oddity that was Dimension X. The sky was completely purple with only small floating islands as the surface. Certainly the strangest things were the creatures that inhabited this bizarre place. Many of them looked like flying leeches that happily glided through the air. There were giant silver balls with spikes that looked very much like giant space mines.

"So this is Dimension X," Karai said looking stunned.

As a giant worm flew over Raph's head with a happy face for a butt, the red masked turtle added, "This is a freak show."

"There's no sun, there's no anything. It's just-"

Donny was suddenly cut off as he fell from the edge of the cliff they were standing on. The group quickly ran over to see if they could spot their fallen brother but found him to be standing underneath the floating island.

"This is ridiculous!" Donny shouted as Leo and Karai helped him up.

"Gravity is not supposed to work this way," the purple masked turtle cried in frustration.

"Apparently here it can," Karai replied calmly as Donny was pulled right side up again.

Donnt picked up a rock before he explained, "I guess different dimension means different laws of physics."

The purple masked turtle then threw the rock and watched as it passed by them twice before catching it. He then let it go and watched as it floated towards Raph. The red masked turtle was already on edge enough without adding the weirdness of Dimension X into it.

"Let just find Maya and Mikey so we can get out of here," Raph growled.

"Do you have any idea where to start?" Karai asked.

"There looks like a good a place as any," Leo said pointing to the closest island that looked pretty far off.

Raph took a running start before he jumped of the ledge of the island where his siblings were before landing on the other island. When the others saw that he had landed safely, they followed after him. They quickly jumped from place to place keeping an eye out for their baby brother.

They landed on the Dimension X equivalent of a tree before Leo said, "make sure you are all keeping an eye out for the Krang. They can't know we're here."

"How could they possibly know were here Leo? The only things that know we're here are those little glow worms up ahead" Raph said.

The group looked over to see the graceful sparkling creatures flying almost playfully through the sky.

"Aww look at them. They're all cute and sparkly," Raph cooed.

The creatures apparently heard Raph and quickly approached the group. Suddenly the red masked turtle found himself rethinking how cute he thought these things were.

"Uh…I don't think those are little but they definitely got spark," Karai commented as they got closer and they saw that the worms actually electric worms.

They all moved out of the way just in time to avoid being shocked by the creatures but they landed hard on the surface below. Without a thought Raph and Leo attacked the worms but were quickly subdued by the worms electrocuting them.

Donny and Karai quickly took the worms by surprise before Leo and Raph were killed. The worms quickly turned their attention on the purple masked turtle and the girl forcing the pair to run for their lives. Before the worms could attack either one of them, both Karai and Donny were pulled up by Leo and Raph into the shadows. They watched cautiously as they worms looked around before flying off to do whatever it is that electric worms did.

"What were those?" Karai asked trying to catch her breath.

Raph couldn't help smirking before he commented, "Mikey would have named them by now."

Suddenly his face dropped before he added, "him and Maya are probably Krang bait by now."

Leo, Donny and Karai suddenly tightened their hold on their weapons. They refused to even think about the possibility of the Krang hurting their youngest brother and their pod sister.

"Come on. We're going to find them if it's the last thing we do," Leo said.

Leo heard something strange and looked over to see that Donny had put his bo staff in its holder and had begun to pull on one of the crystals they were holding onto.

"Donny what are you doing?" Leo asked.

"I think this was where Leatherhead got his power source from before. If we can bring this back home it could be used to our advantage," he explained.

"Uh dude I don't think that's a good idea," Raph said looking nervous.

"Nothing bad will happen," Donny said as he broke off the piece of the crystal.

Suddenly light began to burst from the broken parts of the crystal and a piercing sound could be heard like something was winding up.

"What's that noise?" Karai asked nervously.

Calmly Donny looked at them and replied, "Something bad."

"GO, GO, GO," the purple masked turtle shouted as they all jumped an explosion burst from the crystal sending them flying onto another floating island.

Sharp shards of crystal flew everywhere forcing the siblings to all cover their heads to protect themselves from the debris.

After a rather sharp piece landed a little too close to Leo's eye for his comfort before he said, "Alright new rule. Don't. Touch. _Anything._"

Raph waved his hand in agreement from his spot behind Leo.

…

After giving themselves time to rest the siblings got back to work searching for their youngest brother before they went after then Krang.

"I'm starting to understand why the Krang want to take over our dimension. This dimension stinks!" Donny cried out as his hate for Dimension X could no longer stay quiet.

"I dunno that looks kind of cute," Leo replied pointing at a little lump and big adorable green eyes.

As the oldest turtle went over to the little talking lump Raph scolded, "Leo we've already learned that in Dimension X, don't mess with anything that's cute."

_'mup mup' _the little creature said smiling at Leo.

"Mup, mup," Leo replied before poking its belly.

The little lump suddenly started to giggle before it released a fart from its head.

"See he's so small. How can he be dangerous?" Leo said.

As if on cue the ground began to shake and the little lump suddenly rose until it was sitting on top of a large part bug, part lizard creature.

"You just had to ask didn't you Leo?" Karai said before they all took off running for their lives.

The siblings used their ninja skills to get away from the creature but it was simply too fast for them to out run. They jumped from island to island to out run it but the creature only seemed to get closer and closer. Finally the monstrous thing cornered all four siblings on a rock. Just before it could attack however, a loud piercing scream filled that sounded very familiar to the turtles.

While the beast was distracted something long and slimy grabbed them one a time before throwing them to safety in a pile of limbs. Before any of the siblings could figure out what was happening, two figures wearing strange helmets stood in front of them protectively.

"Stay away from our pod clan!" a voice shouted that sounded all too familiar.

"Mikey? Maya?" Leo asked in disbelief as he stared at the pair.

Suddenly Maya opened her mouth and screamed at the creature once again sending it backing away in agony. Mikey held tiny fragments of the crystals in his hand before he flew towards the creature. As he flew over his siblings and laughing manically, Mikey threw the fragments at the creature causing explosions on its body. Suddenly Maya flew out of nowhere before leaping off Mikey's shoulders and roundhouse kicked the small lump in the head causing it to cry out in pain. The kick was enough to throw the creature off balance and fall off the cliff down into the nothingness below them. Maya landed expertly beside Mikey before giving him a smile.

"You guys are okay!" Donny cheered running up to them.

"We were worried about you," Leo said pulling team M&amp;M into a hug.

Mikey pulled away first before he replied, "well what took you guys so long? We've been here for months."

Mikey's comment took them completely off guard. It simply wasn't possible that the pair had been surviving in Dimension X for that long.

"That doesn't make any sense. We went through the portal fifteen seconds after you did," Raph said very confused.

"Time must go quicker here than it does in our dimension," Donny explained.

Before anyone else could comment Mikey gasped when he saw the creature coming and made a scream of his own sending the creature disappearing below the cliff.

"How did you-"

Donny's question was cut off by Maya who quickly explained, _'We must move quickly. That creature will keep coming if we don't put some distance between us and it.'_

"Right. Now that we're all together we gotta save Leatherhead," the orange masked turtle said before jumping over to the crystals.

_'We need to stalk up on more bang rocks'_ Maya commented to Mikey.

The turtle nodded his head before he replied, "leave it to me."

Mikey quickly jumped up to where some of the explosive crystal was growing making his siblings worry for his safety.

"Mikey be careful!" Donny shouted but it fell on deaf ears.

The youngest turtle started making strange meowing noises that caused fragments of the crystals to gently release themselves.

"How did you do that?" Donny asked in amazement.

Mikey grabbed the rocks and put them in his pocket as he explained, "a lot of things here respond to sound."

The others looked on in amazement while Maya began gathering up what looked like slugs and threw them at the four confused older siblings.

"Gross…I don't think I even want to know what these are," Karai said holding the slimy thing in her hands.

_'We call them grappling slugs' _Maya explained before showing them how to launch the slimy tentacle that stuck to an island far above them.

The others quickly followed suit after her before they were suddenly launched forward and landed hard onto the ground.

"Wow, that's amazing. How did you guys know they did that?" Raph asked.

Both shrugged before Mikey replied, "It just seemed sort of obvious."

"Team M&amp;M are like geniuses in this dimension," Donny commented.

"Hey in crazy backwards land, team M&amp;M are king and queen," Mikey said wrapping his arm around Maya proudly as she smiled back at him.

Karai couldn't resist using this as a perfect opportunity to torture her brothers. Deciding now was the time to stir the pot she cleared her throat. Maya gave Karai a suspicious look before she read the girl's mind to see what she was up to.

_'Follow my lead, this will be fun' _Karai said to her in her mind. Maya smirked before sending the message to Mikey who quickly had a mischievous twinkle in his eye.

"So you two have been together here for months you say? That's an awful lot of _alone_ time for you two lately," Karai commented innocently.

The looks on Leo, Raph and Donny's faces were priceless. All three brothers looked absolutely horrified at the realization that they just had to face.

"You better believe it. Being stranded in another dimension isn't nearly as lonely when you've got someone to snuggle up to at night," Mikey said gripping Maya's waist just a little bit tighter.

Karai tried desperately not to laugh when she saw the full face blushes on the older turtles' faces.

She innocently nodded her head before she asked, "How many months alone do you think you had before you found us?"

Maya smiled warmly as she placed a hand over her abdomen before she replied _'This one would estimate at least three or four months…long enough to start to hear the beginnings of a heartbeat.'_

That was the breaking point for the protective older brothers. The three froze with open jaws before all three promptly fell to the ground in shock.

"Was that too much?" Maya asked nervously.

Mikey who had been bent over laughing at this point shook his head as he wiped a tear from his eye. Karai was no better as she held her stomach that hurt from laughing so hard. Leo, Raph and Donny suddenly realized that Maya was definitely not pregnant, their baby brother was still a virgin and they had just been pranked not only by team M&amp;M but with Karai as their ring leader.

"I cannot believe you just did that to us," Raph said holding a hand over his chest as if he just had a heart attack.

After Mikey had calmed down a bit he looked at his brothers and said, "That's what you get for overdoing it with the whole no alone time for team M&amp;M."

_'This one is certain that we've had little time to sleep let alone consummate our union surviving here' _Maya added crossing her arms and giving the three a look.

The three had the good sense to look embarrassed. It was true that they had not stopped being protective of the innocent relationship Mikey and Maya shared. The three older brothers simply wanted the pair to stay innocent for as long as they could keep them that way.

"Sorry guys…we didn't mean to overdo it," Leo said quietly.

"Ya dido," Raph replied not really sure what else to say.

Donny sighed before he added, "I guess we don't want you guys to get the chance to have to mature to fast…I think I speak for all of us in this clan when I say, we still like be able to look after you both and we aren't ready for you to grow up."

Team M&amp;M looked at each other knowingly before Mikey said, "we know that and believe me we aren't in any particular rush to grow up either. Right now we just wanna have fun all together…but we also want you to trust us. How do you think it makes us feel when 'big brother' is always watching?"

Leo, Raph and Donny all looked at each other before nodding in agreement. Leo then looked up at the pair and said, "We promise we'll get off you're back…but don't forget to make time for us sometimes to okay?"

"Deal," Mikey said quickly with a smile.

His face quickly went serious however before he said, "Now let's go save Leatherhead."

…

Leatherhead didn't know how much more he could take of this torture. It didn't make it any easier to bare knowing there was a chance his message didn't get to his friends. However he would not give these monsters the satisfaction of seeing him in agony. At this point however he was going in and out of consciousness as his captors continued sending volts of electricity into his body.

Suddenly the beautiful sounds of Krang bots deactivating filled his ears. He wanted so much to look up and see his friends standing before him ready to rescue him. Leatherhead was afraid to though in fear that it would all be nothing but an illusion.

"Leatherhead buddy speak to me!" a frantic yet familiar voice called to him.

The crocodile wanted to answer his friend, he really did but he was just so tired.

"Come on buddy talk to me. Can I do anything for you?" the voice begged him but still he could not answer.

Suddenly he was released by his bindings causing him to fall right on top of his tiny turtle friend. The orange masked turtle mumbled something from under his massive body but alas he could not hear him as he slowly began slipping into unconsciousness once more.

_'Do not fall asleep' _a tiny voice screamed in his mind.

His eyes suddenly shot open and he quickly realized he was no longer on top of his friend but staring up at the ceiling. Above him were the three older turtles and a human girl he did not recognize. He looked over to one side to see Michelangelo holding his hand, fear filling his big baby blue eyes. He wanted to reassure that small turtle that everything was going to be all right but he was simply too weak to speak.

A grey scaly arm reached across him and squeezed Michelangelo's shoulder gently. Leatherhead looked over to the owner of the arm to see the strangest looking creature he had ever seen. The creature looked down at him with its enchanting eyes before it gave Leatherhead a smile.

_'You are Mikey's beloved friend, therefore you are important to this one as well. Please trust this one to take care you' _the tiny female voice said in his mind causing him to feel calm and relaxed.

Suddenly the creature took her claws out and slashed a deep gash in her own arm causing the group to suddenly become alarmed. She appeared to ignore them as she pried open Leatherhead's mouth before allowing her blood to pour into his mouth while humming a hypnotic melody. Slowly Leatherhead started to feel his body begin to heal and become strong again. After a few moments the singing stopped and the wound on the creature's arm healed instantly.

_'Give yourself a moment to let the blood work before you sit up' _the creature explained.

After a few moments Leatherhead was able to sit up but was nearly knocked back down again when Michelangelo slammed into his chest.

"I can't believe I finally found you," Mikey said sounding relieved.

"Forgive me for scaring you my friend," Leatherhead replied as he returned Mikey's hug.

Mikey pulled away a bit before asking, "You're okay now though right? You definitely look better."

"I am feeling as if time is going backwards for me. My body feels as young as it did when I first came here," Leatherhead said before turning to the creature beside him.

"I am not sure what you did to me creature but I am grateful," the alligator said before bowing his head gratefully and sitting up fully so that Michelangelo and the creature were in front of him.

_'You are most welcome new friend Leatherhead.' _she replied in his mind.

"Leatherhead meet Maya. She's a mermaid…and she's pretty important to me," Mikey said happily.

The alligator looked at the girl beside him in amazement. Never in his life did he think he would come across such a species. He also couldn't help wondering how this girl was important to his friend. His question was quickly answered however when he saw Mikey take Maya's hand in his.

"She's my beloved," Mikey added looking especially happy.

Leatherhead noticed how embarrassed the others were getting at seeing such an open display of affection from their youngest. Truth be told it surprised him as well but it also made his heart swell with joy for his dear friend.

Without a word Leatherhead grabbed both of their hands and held them in his massive paws before he said, "you have gained a bond with another that is truly pure and good. I will protect it with my life and support you both anyway I can."

The pair smiled at Leatherhead happily before the large gator's face became stern.

"I believe I have fully recovered, we must move quickly. With the mutagen perfected the Krang are ready to unleash their invasion upon our world," Leatherhead said as he rose to his feet.

"Follow me," he instructed as he led their group down the halls of the Krang headquarters.

Finally they stopped in a room filled with portals and what appeared to be an unlimited army of Krang bots.

"There is no way we can fight all of them…we have to retreat," Donny said.

Leatherhead growled at him before he replied, "I would rather die on my feet then live on my knees."

"Come on guys think about it. The only sensible thing to do would be to retreat!" Donny argued.

Everyone was silent for a moment before Karai said, "sorry Donny but I think we're with the croc on this one. There is just too much at stake right now."

"Alright I have a plan," Mikey suddenly shouted getting everyone's attention.

"Leo and Raph, block off the reinforcements. Donny shut everything down and get us a ride home. Maya cover Donny and help him out. Karai and Leatherhead, you're with me. You know what we gotta do…"

Karai and Leatherhead looked at each other with malicious smiles before Leatherhead replied, "crush Krang."

"A LOT! Now let's go!" Mikey commanded.

Everyone immediately got to work. Leo and Raph worked together flawlessly to get a hold of one of the Krang bot arms to shut down the doors into the portal room. However they were quickly attacked by the bots still remaining in the room. Maya had to take over when Donny couldn't figure out the Krang system in order to set the place to blow after they got home through a portal.

In the meantime Mikey, Karai and Leatherhead were having fun. Leatherhead used a large staff shaped piece of crystal to destroy the Krang bots. However when it wasn't working fast enough for his taste, the croc started simply ripping the bots apart by hand. Mikey and Karai covered each other's back until the floor was littered with offline Krang bots.

"Come on guys we gotta move!" Donny shouted making his way to the portal.

The others quickly followed after but it was Leatherhead with Mikey and Maya on either side of him that got to the portal to cover their escape. The three were quickly surrounded by Krang bots that had them cornered against the portal.

"You go. I will destroy the Krang," Leatherhead said ready to die to protect his friends.

Mikey and Maya looked at each other before they each grabbed one of the croc's arms and threw him through the portal. Mikey and Maya kept the Krang busy while the others escaped through the portal.

Leatherhead realized he had landed on a rooftop in New York City before looking up at team M&amp;M horrified. He could see the portal beginning to close as the pair continued to fight off Krang. All he could do now was wait with the others and pray that his friends made it back home safely.

…

Mays watched carefully to make sure everyone made it back safe before turning her attention back to her battle with the Krang.

"Maya we gotta go!" Mikey yelled over at her.

_'The crystal!' _Maya replied before she let out a piercing scream that sent the Krang bots flying back.

Mikey was the quickest ninja out of his brothers. He knew he had just enough time to use his grappling worm to get a crystal fragment before it exploded. He grabbed Maya's hand and leaped before using the slimy creature to snag a piece of crystal. The pair fell out through the portal just as the Krang base exploded.

The pair flew through the portal abefore almost falling over the side of the roof. Leatherhead was quick to grab both of their arms before pulling them back up to safety.

After taking a few minutes to catch their breath Mikey handed the crystal to Donny knowing he could use it as an energy source. Donny quickly pulled him and Maya into a bone crushing hug as he went all 'science fan boy' over the crystal and its many possibilities.

"So how long do you think we have until the Krang actually attack?" Raph asked.

"Who knows with the time difference it could be a couple hours to a few months of piece until they show up again," Karai replied.

Leo nodded his head before he said, "Whatever the case. We'll be ready for them."

* * *

Huzzah! Behold I have done it! Just a heads up readers this story will soon be ending. You've all been amazing readers and I hope you've all enjoyed the story :) Don't forget to review the lady!


	37. Chapter 37

Sorry everyone I dropped of the grid! Why is the end of a school year so hectic? I tell you prepping for parent teacher interviews for toddlers is more work then you think people. I need a vacation .

* * *

The night was dark and cold in New York City. No one felt it more than the man formally known as Oroku Saki. The Shredder sat in his throne room silently thinking about the child that had dared to betray him. Perhaps it was the fact that his plan was foiled…or perhaps it was because of the fact that the time he had invested in her was for nothing.

Either way it bothered him greatly. Karai belonged to him and Oroku Saki was not one to take kindly towards people touching his things. It didn't matter, the girl would be back under his control soon enough. However first he needed to destroy Hamato Yoshi and his pathetic children. Only then would his vengeance be complete.

His train of thought was interrupted when the Krang bot head beside him illuminated to reveal a large screen with the face of a rather large Krang.

"Krang Prime," Shredder greeted in a monotone voice.

"One known as Shredder. Krang demands to know your decision," the crackly voice of the Krang replied.

Oroku Saki sighed before he asked, "well that all depends on you. Will you keep your end of the bargain?"

"Krang will deliver the one known as Splinter and the ones known as the turtles."

"What of my daughter Karai? When I find her, will you be able to bring her back under my control?" Shredder asked.

"Krang agrees to this…on the condition that _you _one known as Shredder help the Krang. You will assist in taking over that which is known as New York City and then the world!" the large pink creature answered smiling evilly.

"There is just one more thing I seek that could benefit both of us," Shredder said unmoved.

Krang gave Shredder a suspicious look before it replied, "Krang is listening."

Oroku Saki picked up the book on mythological creatures from Karai's room before he replied, "There is a girl associating with the turtles, her species makes her body valuable to me. Bring her to me alive and when I am done with her you may experiment on her as you wish."

"Deal," Krang replied instantly tempted by the idea of experimenting on a valuable and potentially rare species for their personal gain.

Shredder smiled before he replied, "consider the foot clan your most willing ally."

…

April and Maya were walking home from a movie with their friend Irma. She had been a friend of April's since kindergarten. The girls had decided that Saturday would be no boys allowed since Irma had commented to April about how they never hung out anymore.

Irma was admittedly a little possessive of April since she had such a hard time making friends. Her more serious personality made it hard for people to want to approach her. When Maya came along, Irma slowly took a liking to the bubbly silver haired girl. At first she was a bit jealous of the attention April gave her but it was Maya's effort to get to know her and their common love of gory monster movies that sealed their friendship.

"That was amazing!" April exclaimed as they left the theater.

"Totally digging the lack of CG. I miss the days of stunt people and pyrotechnics," Irma added sighing contently.

"That surprises this one considering your love of hacking," Maya said.

Irma looked over at the tiny girl before she replied, "true I was destined to be born in the technological age. However I am a pyro crazy thrill seeker at heart."

"Thrill seeking techno geek…sounds like somebody else I know," April mumbled to herself.

Irma gave April a look before she asked, "would this _someone _happen to be one of those super-secret friends of yours?"

April and Maya looked at each other before the red head replied, "uh ya…and they're not secret per say just more…private."

"Uh huh. So private that you can't introduce them to your best friend?" Irma said in an irritated tone.

"This one's family likes their privacy as well. It was months before April was allowed over to this one's home. April has said that her friends live far if this one is not mistaken," Maya piped in hoping to settle the situation.

April nodded her head before she replied, "right they do. If it weren't for video chat I'd barely see them myself."

"That is fair…I dunno I guess I always thought friends should introduce friends to other friends, you know?" Irma said.

Before either April or Maya could reply to her, they were suddenly surrounded by ninjas. The foot bots trapped them in a circle before taking out their weapons.

"Please tell me these are friends," Irma said nervously.

"Everybody run!" April shouted before the three girls pushed past one of the ninjas and darted down an alley.

As they ran for their lives Irma looked over to see that April had pulled out a phone and started dialing someone's number before it was destroyed by a ninja star. She then looked over at Maya and her eyes widened when she saw Maya's arm change.

"What the hell?" Irma demanded.

Maya looked at her arm before she looked up at Irma and said, "This one will explain later. Please keep moving my friend."

The girl nodded her head before she pushed herself to keep running alongside her friends.

…

Raph and Casey were patrolling together looking for anything that might look anything like Krang activity. The red masked turtle was on a roof top scouting from above while Casey was keeping his open below in the alley way. At least that was what he was supposed to be doing until Raph caught him staring at some graffiti on a wall.

"Dude, what the hell? You're supposed to be keeping your eyes peeled for a freakin' alien invasion," Raph scolded his friend.

"Cool it. I just wanted to check this out. It looks wicked," Casey replied casually looking at the art on the wall.

Raph looked at it and couldn't help noticing how much it looked like April leaning up against a macho hockey player.

"Ya…real nice. Come on we gotta go," the red masked turtle commented.

Casey seemed anxious as he caught up to him before he asked, "hey Raph…does April ever talk about me...like ever?"

Raph felt awful for what he was about to do but he was a brother first and a best friend second. The red masked turtle glared at the human boy before he replied, "it doesn't matter. Dude, you know how Donny feels about April."

For a split second Raph could see hurt in Casey's eyes before he blinked and it disappeared instantly. It was almost terrifying how well Casey Jones could hide his emotions in an instant.

"Pfft, ya I know man I'm just curious. The girl is just giving me mixed signals ya know. One minute she's playin' it cool and the next she's rippin' my head off. Just wondering if she's like that with everybody or did I just pull the short straw?" the boy explained.

Guilt gnawed at Raph's gut for that one. As much as Casey was too good at brushing stuff off, he couldn't fool his best friend. It was one of the few times Raph managed to get Casey to talk to him about something that was bothering him and he just blew it.

"Ya I don't know dude but I wouldn't worry about it too much. She has her moments with all of us…Christ ya should have seen her when she found out what we did to Mikey and Maya. Still got a dent from that encyclopedia," Raph replied trying to mend the moment with his friend while still being loyal to his brother.

This managed to at least get a smirk out of the other boy before a police siren could be heard close by.

Without thinking twice Raph jumped up to the rooftop leaving Casey behind who had nowhere to run. The turtle looked down and swore at himself when he saw two police officers approaching Casey who stood beside the graffiti with empty spray paint cans below it.

…

Donny was working away on his computer looking absolutely stressed out. He sighed in defeat before leaning back in his chair and rubbing his fingers over his head.

"I'm so stressed I can't even eat," Donny commented.

Mikey who was in the lab with him stuffed two pieces of pizza in his mouth before he replied, "me to."

Donny rolled his eyes at his baby brother before Splinter came into the room with Karai and said, "You are right to be concerned. The Krang invasion is immanent. What plans have you to stop it?"

The purple masked turtle gave his father a confident smirk before he replied, "I give you my latest invention the turtle mech."

Donny laid out his blue prints for the invention before he replied, "It's fully loaded with rocket launchers, flame throwers and a massive harpoon. Guaranteed to stop a major alien invasion or your money back."

Mikey was on the verge of tears before he said, "you dream about it for years but when the day finally comes…you don't know what to say."

"Your tears say enough Mikey and thank you," the tech savvy turtle replied.

Leo stepped forward and said, "The turtle mech isn't ready. We need a more solid plan."

"It's ready…ish," Donny replied defensively.

"We can't defeat the Krang on a readyish plan Donny. We need a second base outside the city," Leo argued.

Donny looked at the others to back him up but when he laid eyes on Karai she said, "sorry Donny I agree with Leo on this. Your plan isn't bad but we need something a little more solid."

"There isn't any time for that. This is a solid plan. If I were leader-"

"You're not the leader Donatello, I am!" Leo shouted.

Mikey looked at his brothers in shock before he said, "oh snap."

"Okay guys back off a little will you," Karai said taking a step forward to stop the argument.

Splinter beat her to it and pushed the boys away from each other before he scolded, "you two should be working together as equals to defeat the Krang! Not fighting like petty children."

Before either one of the brothers could say anything else Mikey looked up in surprise making everybody look in his direction.

"Huston we have a problem," Mikey said sounding worried.

Splinter looked at his youngest child in confusion before he asked, "what is wrong my son?"

"Maya says that she and April were ambushed on their way home from the movie…they had another girl with them…Master Splinter don't be mad but they got overpowered by a bunch of foot bots and they needed to get someplace safe fast…they're coming here with the girl," Mikey explained.

Splinter's eyes went as wide as saucers before the sounds of heavy footprints and panting could be heard from outside the laboratory. The Hamato family ran out into the main room to see April and Maya along with another girl collapsed onto the ground.

"April…you have brought a stranger into this home," Splinter said sounding calm yet shocked.

The girl had tears streaming down her face as she dared to look up at Splinter afraid to see the expression that would be staring back at her. She had a cut along her cheek as well as several other small cuts. Maya wasn't looking much better with blood dripping down her arm as it hung at a strange angle. The other girl was leaning against Maya not moving.

"I'm so sorry Sensei…I didn't know what else to do," April replied looking visibly upset and terrified.

Without a second thought Splinter was kneeling in front of her before he pulled her into his arms. It was obvious that the girl was struggling to keep hold of her emotions.

"It is clear that this was your last resort. I am glad that you returned to us safely," Splinter said in a soft voice trying to calm April down.

Splinter looked over to Maya who was already wrapped up in Mikey's protective arms as he looked her over to make sure she was alright. Karai was beside them ready to help in any way she could.

"Is your injury serious Maya?" Splinter demanded gently.

The girl grabbed her arm and popped it back into place before she looked over at Splinter. She gave him a warm smile and a thumbs up to let him know she was fine but her lack of speech told the sensei that she was in great pain.

Donny was the first to approach the girl on the floor with the short black and purple hair. He gently rested a hand on her shoulder before he asked, "Miss, can you hear me?"

The girl looked up at Donny with terrified grey eyes before she said, "I need stop eating cheese before bed. This is super messed up."

The tech savvy turtle gave the girl an awkward look before he replied, "uhh I hate to break it to you…but you're not dreaming."

Calmly the girl sat up before she asked, "Are you telling me that I actually just got my ass handed to me by robot ninjas, took sanctuary in the sewers and met my best friend's secret friends who are giant talking turtles?"

"Don't forget Master Splinter bra…he's a giant talking rat. Karai over here is his daughter," Mikey said casually.

The girl looked at Mikey in shock before she replied, "of course…thanks for clearing that up for me."

"No prob dudette," the orange masked turtle said giving her a friendly wink.

The girl nodded her head before tears streamed down her face and she sobbed, "What the hell is going on?"

Before anyone else could answer her, foot bots flooded the lair. Nobody moved as the entrance was completely filled with foot bots. Suddenly one heavily armored foot bot stepped forward before ripping off its cloths to reveal a Krang.

"Oh shit," the girl managed to get out before Donny wrapped his arms around her and jumped back as far as they could.

"I cannot believe the Shredder actually teamed up with the Krang," Karai commented as she looked over the new foot bots with Krang technology.

"Typical. I suggest we work with the Krang and he bites my head off. _He _decides to work with the Krang and suddenly the idea is gold," Karai mumbled in annoyance.

"Is that really our biggest issue right now?" Donny yelled at her.

"How did you find this place?" Splinter demanded as he stood in front of the children in his care.

The Krang laughed before he replied, "those which are known as females were tracked using that which is known as a tracking device."

A blinking light caught Donny's attention and he looked over to see something the size of a grain of rice on the back of the new girl's neck. He quickly grabbed it and crushed it in between his fingers before dropping it to the ground. Mikey and Splinter looked over Maya and April to see that they too had trackers on their necks.

"Oh my God. Sensei I swear we didn't know," April said.

"I know April. It is alright I am not angry with you," Splinter replied gently before turning to the Krang.

He glared at the creature before he hissed, "_you_ on the other hand, have earned my rage."

The alien simply laughed before it said, "It does not matter. That which is known as the Krang have found that which is known as the turtle lair. This was crucial in order to launch a full scale invasion!"

Suddenly the lair was surrounded with portals from Dimension X and the lair was quickly filled with Krang bots of all kinds.

…

"Something wrong officers?" Cassey asked as the two men approached him. Raph watched like a hawk as a bad feeling crept through him.

The one on the driver's side of the car replied, "you're loitering Casey Jones."

"How do you know my name?" Casey asked suspiciously.

The two cops suddenly jumped on the teen and grabbed him by his arms before they tried to shove him into the police cruiser.

"What the hell! Let me go!" Casey shouted.

He managed to wiggle himself free enough to knock one of the cops with his stick. As soon as the stick made contact the police officer suddenly turned into a Krang robot.

"Oh shit," Casey cried before the other Krang bot tried to drag him towards the police cruiser.

A feral growl filled the air before Raph was on the ground with him. His sais itching for a fight with the Krang.

"Let him go!" he screamed before he threw both sais and sent them expertly into both of the robots' heads.

Once they were on the ground Casey went to Raph. As he did a giant portal from Dimension X opened allowing Krang to enter into their world.

"The invasion is already starting," Casey said in shock.

Raph grabbed his arm and started running before he said, "we gotta get back to the lair."

Both boys ran as fast as they could trying to desperately not to get killed as the streets continued to fill with the Krang.

…

April grabbed her friend and pulled her behind a wall to protect her from the gunfire. Maya transformed her upper body into her natural mermaid form before she joined Splinter, Karai and the turtles to fight of the Krang.

_'Everyone cover your ears!' _Maya shouted to her friends.

Maya let out one of the loudest, piercing screams she had ever produced in her life. The foot bots only slightly glitched before continuing to attack them.

_'How is this possible?' _Maya thought to herself as she continued to fight.

"We can't keep this up! What's the plan?" Karai shouted.

Splinter pushed off his opponents before he turned to the teens and commanded, "Leave now. Find Leonardo and Raphael. I will hold them off.

"What about you Sensei?" Leo asked almost in a panic.

Splinter barely spared him a glance before he sternly replied, "Go!"

With that the group ran for the shell raiser until the Krang bots took notice and shot a missile at the subway car. Donny almost burst into tears when he saw all of his hard work literally burst into flames right before his eyes.

"My baby!" he shouted in horror.

Somebody grabbed his arm and he looked up to see the girl with the short black hair and the thick rimmed glasses trying to pull him off the ground.

"Grieve later when we're not running for our lives okay!" she yelled at him.

Donny was so shocked by the girl's change in behavior that he let her pull him up and guide him after the others that were running down the track led by Leo. It felt like hours before they finally came to a stop in front of two tunnels.

"What do we do now?" April asked as she tried to catch her breath.

Donny pointed to the left tunnel before he said, "we need to go this way. It will lead to the turtle mech."

"No. We need to find Raph and Casey," Leo replied.

"We can find them in the turtle mech," Donny argued getting more frustrated by the minute.

Karai pushed both turtles back before she glared at them and said, "Can we tone down the testosterone in the room please. We got bigger problems then your egos."

"Karai the turtle mech will slow us down right now," Leo replied defensively.

Donny growled before he said, "_You're _the one that's slow. You are leading us into disaster!"

As if on cue the portals opened from Dimension X right in between the two feuding brothers. Krang bots began coming through shooting laser guns that managed to shoot Donnt in the leg. Without thinking twice Leo jumped into action getting as many robots away from his little brother as he could with the help of Mikey, Maya and Karai.

April and Irma did their best to cover Donny and help him get to his feet while the others defended their group in the tight quarters.

As they fought Leo turned to team M&amp;M and said, "I have a plan but it means that you need to get Donny, April and her friend out of here."

"Not without you bro," Mikey said determined.

"That wasn't a choice Mikey. Protect our family and find Raph and Casey. Am I clear?" Leo replied using his 'leader voice' as Mikey called it.

Mikey said nothing looking frustrated before he and Maya turned and made their way to their clan. The orange masked turtle did everything in his power not to turn around as he left his brother behind to fight for them.

…

The rest of the way up to the surface went smoothly without any more run-ins with the Krang. Once they were up Mikey called both of his brothers desperately hoping that they were alright. The youngest turtle couldn't shake the feeling that he should have stayed with his brother and the guilt was eating away at him like no tomorrow. Maya squeezed his hand giving her beloved hope, comfort and strength in one simple gesture.

Karai put Donny's arm around her shoulder before half carrying him to support his injured leg before she said, "we can't stay here. We need to keep moving."

"Come on guys we can go to my place," April said before leading their group back to her home.

"What about Raph and Casey?" Mikey asked.

"First and foremost we need to get Donatello treated. Text them both and tell them we're going to April's house. If they don't respond by the time we get there then we'll make a plan," Karai instructed before nodding to April to take the lead back to her home.

They made to the O'Neill residence in record time. Kirby was in shock to see the group at his front door but quickly rushed them in. Once they had the windows shut and Donny getting his wounds checked did Kirby finally start to panic about their situation.

Mikey had done as he was told and waited anxiously for a response as he watched Kirby have a panic attack. It wasn't until Raph returned his text that he realized he was white knuckling his t-cell.

"They're on their way here," Mikey announced sighing in relief.

Donny nodded his head feeling a slight lift from his shoulders as he heard that his brother was safe. The tech savvy turtle sat still while his wounds were tended to by the black and purple haired girl. He hadn't given her much thought since this whole ordeal started but had to say he was kind of impressed with how well she was dealing with all of this. Even April didn't calm down this quickly.

When she finished cleaning the gun shot Donny gave her a smile small and said, "Thanks…and I'm sorry you got dragged into this."

"I wouldn't feel too bad for me. It looks like all of New York got dragged into this…lucky for me I apparently literally ran into a group of ninjas," the girl replied returning a smirk.

I'm Irma by the way," she added holding out her hand.

Donny couldn't help but chuckle before he shook her hand and said, "I'm Donatello. Just call me Donny for short. The little weirdo over there is my baby brother Michelangelo."

"Wait…Maya's Michelangelo. Oh my God you're one of the douchebag brothers!" Irma said in shock.

Donny gave the girl a dead pan expression before she explained, "sorry that's what April called you guys that after the fiasco with Maya and I guess Michel."

The purple masked turtle sighed as he recalled how that had most certainly not been his finest moment before he replied, "You're right we were douchebags for that."

The pair fell into an awkward silence before Irma said, "well this has been probably the weirdest way I have ever met another person."

Donny laughed before he replied, "you've should have seen how we met April. She screamed like a banshee."

"I screamed like a, what now?" April growled at Donny who looked horrified to have been overheard.

"April! I was just kidding! You have an adorable scream I swear!" Donny cried trying to defend himself.

Mikey carefully walked over and grabbed Irma by the shoulders before carefully and quietly walking away with her before he feared April started throwing stuff.

"You are _soo _lucky you've been shot," April hissed dangerously.

Donny laughed nervously before he went over and bowed at her feet as he said, "Please forgive sweet goddess of mercy."

April glared at him more before resting a hand on his head telling the turtle that all was forgiven…for now.

Donny relished the feeling of April touching him. For a moment he could forget all the crap that was happening and just enjoy this moment he was having with her. It was then that he decided…he was going to tell April how he feels. He smiled contently before he looked up at the red headed girl lovingly.

"Hey April…I've got something to tell you…I've wanted to tell you for a while," Donny said stumbling through his words.

April's eyes widened knowingly before she interrupted Donny and said, "Don't. I'm sorry Donny…I've…gotta go to the bathroom."

The girl suddenly shot up and quickly walked out of the room. Donny watched after her defeated before turning to the remaining teens. He gave them a defeated look before he got up and walked into the kitchen to be by himself. Maya went to after him but Mikey stopped her and shook his head solemnly.

"Ouch," Karai said saying what was on everyone's mind.

"How long has that been a thing?" Irma asked.

"Since we met April," Mikey answered looking sad for his big brother.

The teens felt bad for both of their friends. It was no secret, not even to April, that Donny had the biggest crush known to man on her. While Donny desperately wanted to tell April how he felt about her, April was trying desperately to think of a way to tell Donny that she loved him differently then the way he loved her.

* * *

One more chapter to go before this is done. Good news there will be a sequel :D Anyway thanks for the support from you guys you're gems.


	38. Chapter 38

Alas the final chapter of the story. It is always so bittersweet to end a story I enjoy writing :(

* * *

The city was on fire and in utter chaos. Men, women and children ran for their lives as their homes burned to the ground around them. A boy with big curly hair was both terrified and confused as he avoided aliens. One minute he was delivering pizzas and the next his city was crumbling. He was about to run down an alley when he noticed a little girl standing in the street crying, her parents nowhere to be found. Without a second thought the young man turned around and ran for the little girl. He barely missed being crushed by a giant metal leg but the child in his arms was safe.

"I can't find my daddy," the girl whaled.

"Don't worry it's gonna be okay," he replied holding the girl tightly and wondering if he actually believed the words coming out of his mouth.

The pizza boy ran until he stopped at a dead end street. At the end of that street stood a man dressed in metal armor and surrounded by giant monsters. He froze for only a moment before he turned and ran the other way screaming.

…

Shredder watched as the boy ran off in terror carrying a little girl in his arms. Her gaze found his and for a moment the child reminded him of Karai. Confusion and anger consumed the foot clan leader as his chest ached for his adopted daughter.

_'Why does it pain me to think about that traitor' _Shredder thought as he growled in irritation.

"Master Shredder," Tiger Claw called interrupting his master from his thoughts.

"The city is now ours my lord," the massive tiger said as he bowed his head.

Shredder smirked under his mask before he replied, "since I was a boy I have dreamed of this moment when this city would fall at my feet. It is the means to an end and from those ashes we will rise."

Rahzar ran to his master and bowed before him before he said, "Master Shredder Leonardo has been spotted not far from here. The foot bots are leading him straight to us."

"Excellent. Let the game begin," Shredder said menacingly.

…

Splinter had continued to protect his family's home long after his children had disappeared into the sewers for safety. The enemy came at him still in strong numbers and he was slowly becoming tired from fighting for so long.

He couldn't help sensing that the longer that he stayed down here fighting, the longer his sons were in danger of something out of his control. The idea of something taking away anymore of his children had the rat seeing red. In a few quick moves Splinter flipped over the Krang controlled robot and chopped off his arms before round house kicking him into a wall. The force of the impact sent the ceiling caving in on the alien trapping it under rubble.

With his enemy defeated, Splinter took the time to see the damage that was done to his home. He stopped walking when he felt a crunch under his foot. The rat looked down to see that it was a picture of his children. Gently he picked up the broken frame and stared down at the four smiling faces in worry.

"Quit standing here like a fool Yoshi. Go and find your family," Splinter scolded himself before taking off in the direction he saw his children go.

…

Leo ran as fast as he could in an attempt to lead the foot bots away from his family. They were keeping up fairly well and even followed him top side through alley ways. Little did the blue masked turtle know that he was being led into a trap. The foot bots kept attacking in groups keeping Leo distracted just enough for him not to realize the grave mistake he was making. From above Shredder, Rahzar and Tiger Claw watched the oldest of the turtles fight against the army of soldiers without any sign of fatigue.

"He fights bravely," Tiger Claw commented.

"The boy is young, over confident and foolish," Shredder replied.

They continued to observe the battle before Rahzar said, "Do not take any chances with him Master. We should destroy him quickly."

Shredder nodded his head in agreement before he looked over to his men and commanded his archers to attack Leonardo.

"Fire when ready," Shredder commanded calmly.

Without thinking twice the archers let loose their arrows and let them rain down upon the blue masked turtle. It wasn't until they were inches away from Leonardo that he realized he had been led into an ambush.

…

Raph and Casey had just made it outside of April's apartment when a massive portal opened up. Both teens went wide eyed as they saw the largest Krang alien they had ever seen.

"Krang Prime has finally returned to Earth!" the creature cried.

People froze in fear at the sight of the massive alien creature. It was a truly disturbing sight to behold an eighty foot robot stomping through the streets of New York City.

"You got a plan to fight that?" Casey asked as he slowly made his way to April's building.

"Not really no," Raph replied honestly.

"People of Earth. The Krang forming of your world is about to begin!" Krang Prime shouted before it shot at a group of humans on the street hitting them dead on.

Raph and Casey watched in horror as the people that were struck turned into horrible Krang mutated creatures. The upper half of their bodies turned into Krang purple coloured squids.

"Get inside now!" Raph said grabbing Casey's arm and dragging him up to April's apartment.

…

Splinter made his way through the sewers following the trail of deactivated Krang bots that he knew his children had defeated. He felt his heart stop however when he saw a small puddle of blood on the ground. With a quick sniff, Splinter knew that the blood belonged to his son Donatello. An animalistic growl erupted from his throat before purple lasers began firing at him. Splinter instantly turned and attacked the Krang bots furiously.

_'How dare these creatures hurt my child!' _he screamed inside his head.

The rat went from a martial arts master to an angry beast that demanded vengeance. His war cries earned the attention of other Krang bots nearby. The aliens quickly went to help their comrades but were stopped and promptly ripped apart. When Splinter ran out of enemies he began to calm down. He turned his attention to giant crocodile punching the daylights out of a deactivated Krang bot.

"Leatherhead! That is enough!" Splinter shouted to his savior.

As if waking up from a restless sleep, Leatherhead instantly dropped the robot. After taking a few deep breaths, the large croc looked up at Master Splinter.

"I came as soon as I saw the first portals opening. I am glad to have found you," Leatherhead said before he scanned around them.

"You are certainly a sight for sore eyes my friend," Splinter said.

Leatherhead's eyes continued to scan the sewer before falling on Splinter's gaze.

"Where are your children?" the gator asked concerned.

Splinter's ears dropped fore he replied, "I…am not sure but I fear for them. Please help me find them."

"I will help you. I will not rest until my family is safe," Leatherhead replied.

Splinter smiled gratefully to the gentle giant. It touched former human to know that this poor tortured soul found peace with their family. He knew his youngest son would never truly understand how precious he was to this person for simply offering him his friendship.

"Follow me" Splinter replied.

The pair wasted no time chasing he trail that the turtles had left behind for them.

…

Leo had managed to shield himself from the rain of arrows before taking on Shredder's entire army of foot bots. The blue masked turtle did well considering the odds staked against him. He had finally fought off a wave of soldiers before he looked up to see his family's most hated enemy.

"Face me Shredder!" Leo screamed at the man.

Shredder glared at the teen before he replied, "you are beneath me turtle."

Suddenly a chain wrapped around Leo's wrist and dragged him across the rooftop until he was pinned against a wall. A single foot bot came at him before Leo threw one of his katanas straight through its head. Leo's victory was short lasted however when he was attacked from behind the wall and sent flying across the roof. It wasn't long before another wave of soldiers attacked him at once, pummeling the turtle mercilessly.

As Shredder continued to watch he heard Tiger Claw say, "You should let me destroy him master."

"Not yet. I wish to see him suffer," Shredder replied.

It felt like hours for Leonardo as he fought for his life against the endless army of the Foot clan. He was so focused on his battle that he had not realized that Shredder had led him to a dock until one of the foot bots kicked him into freezing cold water. It was like being stabbed by thousands of sharp knives all at the same time. The turtle quickly rose from the water determined to win this battle. When he was standing he realized that he was face to face with not only Shredder but also Tiger Claw, Fish Face and Rahzar.

"Now you may destroy him," Shredder commanded.

Without hesitation Tiger Claw, Fish Face and Rahzar all attacked Leonardo, mercilessly beating his already worn out body. However Leo's will was stronger and the turtle quickly fought them all off using whatever adrenaline he had left. Once he had defeated them he went to face the Shredder but was horrified to see the man already standing there looking menacingly. Without a word Shredder used his sharp steel claws and slashed them across Leo's neck and chest. Leo managed a whimper before he fell into a heap at the Shredder's feet. Tiger Claw was the first one off the ground when he noticed the turtle's cell phone. He glanced at it quickly before showing it to Shredder.

"Master. The turtles are waiting for him at the O'Neill girl's home," Tiger Claw informed.

Shredder nodded his head before he said, "bring them back their broken leader. Then destroy them as well."

The three minions nodded their head before they picked up Leo and disappeared across the roof tops of New York. Shredder watched them leave before he began to walk away. He suddenly stopped however when he saw his most hated enemy holding one of Leonardo's katanas.

Splinter looked up at him before he demanded, "Where is my son?"

"I took him like I took your child so many years ago," Shredder replied before he began laughing like he had just told the funniest joke he had ever heard.

Splinter silently glared at his enemy and clenched his fists before anger got the better of him and he attacked the Shredder head on.

…

Michelangelo felt completely on his own as he called his brother for the 47th time and for the 47th time Leo still had not picked up. Karai was trying to keep Irma, April and Kirby sane. It felt like hours ago since he last talked to Raph and Donny was busy having a pity party by himself in the kitchen.

"Why didn't I make Leo come with us?" Mikey hissed beating himself up about the whole thing.

A hand gently squeezed his shoulder and he looked over to see Maya before she said, "do you really believe you could have convinced Leo not to go?"

"I could have tried harder…I didn't even put up a fight. I should have gone with him," Mikey replied sounding defeated.

"Beloved, you know just as well as this one does that Leonardo would not have stood for that," Maya scolded lightly.

Karai silently listened to the conversation between team M&amp;M as she made her way to the kitchen. This wasn't an easy situation for any of them and Leo missing wasn't making it any better. With April back to her senses, she tried to get Irma and her dad back to theirs. Mikey was in good hands with Maya which she was grateful for. It gave her an opportunity to tackle the problem of a certain sulking little brother. As Karai walked into the kitchen she was not surprised at the scene in front of her. There was Donatello sitting at the table quietly with his head laying on the table. Karai sighed as she silently made her way over and sat beside Donny.

Both siblings were quiet for a moment before Karai cleared her throat and said, "sooo…some weather we're having huh?"

Donny raised his head before he gave Karai the biggest glare he could muster.

"Really that's your big ice breaker?" Donny asked in an irritated tone.

Karai smirked at the turtle as she shrugged her shoulders before she replied, "Give me a break. I'm a ninja not a conversationalist."

Donny continued to glare at her as his mood worsened. He didn't like when he got into his depressed moods. They always came swift and severe. He thought that he must look pretty pathetic if _Karai _of all people was trying to comfort him. Karai noticed Donny looked even more upset since she sat down with him.

_'I am probably the last person he needs right now. Some help I am' _she thought bitterly.

Karai sighed before she said, "Look I really do suck at this so I'm gonna make this short and sweet…Leo isn't mad at you and there are plenty of fish in the sea."

Donny looked at her with a look of surprise. He could see how uncomfortable she was but she was dealing with it because she wanted to help. He was probably lucky she wasn't awkwardly petting his head saying "there, there." At the same time he felt grateful and humble that she would put him before her own comfort.

Donny smiled at Karai before he replied, "you're right…you really do suck at this."

Karai glared at her brother playfully before lightly punching him in the arm. She watched in satisfaction as the turtle winced before she mumbled, "at least I got a smile out of you. Can't be that bad if I got you to smile right?"

"Can't argue with that logic," Donny rubbing his arm.

The pair quickly found themselves sitting in silence both wondering what they should say next. Finally it was Karai that broke the ice.

"For what it's worth…I think any girl would be lucky to have you. April doesn't know what she's missing," she said looking slightly embarrassed.

Donny looked genuinely shocked to get such high praise from a girl, especially considering said girl was his former enemy.

"Wow…thank you," Donny replied not realizing that he was giving Karai an actual smile.

With a nod of her head Karai decided to quit while she was ahead and give Donny some much needed space. Before she could stand up however Donny grabbed her hand and held it tight. She looked back at Donny and gave him a strange look.

"Do you really think he's not mad at me?" Donny asked.

Karai looked at him confused before the purple masked turtle explained, "All our lives I always followed the rules, always listened to Leo, never questioned an order…that was until today apparently. You really don't think Leo is mad at me for the fight?"

The girl looked at her younger brother and felt her chest tighten at the sight of seeing him look so desperate and lost. Up until this point she had thought that he was upset about his unrequited love. Instead he had been more terrified of his brother being mad at him. Quietly Karai sat back down and rested her hand on top of his.

"Look I don't know much about how a family is supposed to work but I'm picking up a few things hanging around you saps. The first thing I learned is that families fight, and it's usually over something stupid. The second thing was that no matter how bad the fights are, nobody stays mad for very long and it definitely doesn't change how anybody cares about each other. I promise, he loves you a hell of a lot more then he cares about some dumb fight," Karai said.

For a moment all Donny could do was stare at Karai completely dumbfounded. Then before either of them knew it, the tech savvy turtle was wrapping the girl in a tight hug.

"Thank you," Donny mumbled.

Karai felt awkward as she returned the hug feeling stiff in the unusual show of emotion. It felt good to know she was making him feel better though.

"You're not bad at this. You know...being a big sister," Donny said making Karai chuckle as they both pulled out of the hug.

"It's a working progress but I'm trying," the girl replied with a sad smile.

_'…trying to be another man's daughter, trying to be a sister, a friend…hell I'm just trying to figure out who the hell I am' _Karai added to herself.

"We know Miwa," Donny using Karai's birth name.

Being called her birth name caught Karai off guard. Although it was surprising to hear, it was nice to be called by the name her mother chose for her. Feeling suddenly uncomfortable with talking about herself Karai decided to change the subject.

She cleared her throat before she said, "So do you feel better now or do I have to punch the melancholy out of you?"

Before Donny could say anything else, Casey and Raph flew into the apartment out of breath but in one piece.

…

Raph was hunched over and holding onto his knees trying desperately trying to get air into his lungs when he was tackled. Somehow the red masked turtle managed to keep his balance before he realized that his arms were full of baby brother. Raph was about to yell at Mikey until he saw the fear resonating in his big baby blue eyes. He was instantly in protective mode and wrapping his arms around his baby brother.

"It's okay Mikey we're both okay," Raph whispered in is ear knowing Mikey needed reassurance when he was scared.

Karai half carried Donny out of the kitchen just in time to see April throw herself into Casey's arms.

"Thank goodness you're okay. You had me worried sick," she said hugging him tight.

Casey seemed just as surprised as everyone else but slowly returned the hug. He was quickly over his shock and had a big smile on his face.

"Don't worry Red. Your man has arrived safe and sound" Casey said in a teasing tone to lighten the mood.

Little did he know, those words were breaking a certain purple masked turtle's heart. Especially when April just smiled back at Casey before kissing the boy on the cheek.

"Raphael, have either of you had any contact with Leonardo?" Maya asked looking very nervous.

The red masked turtle just looked at the girl in confusion before he replied, "What do you mean? Where the hell is Leo?"

Maya suddenly whimpered as the horrible feeling she had been keeping to herself since separating from Leo doubled causing her great anxiety.

"We were attacked by the Krang in the sewers…after I got shot Leo told us to separate, Mikey told him to meet us here. You seriously haven't talked to him?" Donny explained getting worried.

"No I haven't talked to him! Why did you leave him behind and more importantly, what the hell have you guys been doing this entire time?" Raph roared.

At this point Mikey's composure was just about gone. He clenched his phone tightly in his hands as tears fell from his eyes like waterfalls.

"I-It's my fault. He told me to go even though I knew it was a bad idea…he told me I had to take care of Donny…I've been calling him and texting him but he won't answer his phone," Mikey explained.

Maya was by his side in an instant wrapping her arms around him protectively. She knew the darkness that could grow from one's guilt and she would not let that darkness grow within her beloved. Raph instantly regretted blowing up but he was worried. The idea of Leo still being out in the middle of that chaos gave him a bad feeling.

"Look there was nothing we could do until you guys came back. Now we can go fin-"

April wanted to try to defuse the situation but was instantly silenced when the window shattered from something flying threw it. To everyone's horror it was Leo, his unconscious body was broken and bleeding. Raph flew to his brother's side instantly. Donny was about to follow when Irma who had been quiet stepped forward and stopped him.

"I'll take a look at him," she said gently before going to Leo's side.

The red masked turtle was a little surprised to say the least when a human he had never met was kneeling beside his brother and looking at his injuries.

Irma noticed the turtle staring before she said, "My parents are a part of doctors without borders. You learn a lot travelling around with them in the summer for fourteen years. I promise I'm just going to check him over."

Raph nodded his head and let the girl look over their brother when a familiar voice filled the air.

"Come on out turtles. We know you're in there," Tiger Claw called.

The red masked turtle growled before he started picking up Leo. Mikey went over and helped get the oldest turtle onto Raph's back.

Mr. O'Neill looked at the teens before he said, "I have a vehicle we can use. We're going to need to move quickly though."

Karai nodded her head as she tried to formulate a plan. Finally she looked to Raph and said, "I have a plan if you trust me."

Raph nodded his head before Karai instructed, "Kirby lead the way. Irma and April, get Donny to the car. Jones you will cover them. Team M&amp;M will cover us from the window…I'll cover you and Leo. Everyone understand?"

Everyone nodded their heads before they started making their way to the door. Karai led the way with Raph and Kirby on her heels. They were immediately attacked by foot soldiers. Karai took them out quick enough on her own as they made their way outside. However the second they opened the door Rahzar stood before them roaring menacingly. Before he could attack a large shadow appeared over Rahzar's head.

"This is for my brother!" Mikey screamed before he and Maya shoved a couch out the window that landed directly on top of Rahzar.

Mikey and Maya quickly jumped out the window and followed after their clan. Tiger Claw began shooting at them but Mikey threw smoke bombs at him covering their escape. The group ran around the corner to see a large strange looking van.

"What the hell is that?" Raph asked looking unimpressed.

"It's my old party wagon from my hippie days. She's still in great condition and can take one hell of a beating," Kirby explained smiling fondly at the memory of him and his wife using this van when they were young.

Suddenly Kirby was hit by sludge and they all looked up to see Krang Prime laughing manically at them.

"Not again!" April cried as Casey grabbed her arm.

"April move!" Casey commanded as he dragged her to the van.

The group quickly piled into the van driving off. As they distanced themselves from Krang Prime, April couldn't help looking back at her father from the rear view mirror.

…

Splinter and Shredder continued to attack each other with intense hatred. Although both were exhausted neither one of them would dare stop for even a moment.

"You've grown weak," Shredder said before he sent Splinter flying with a punch.

The former human laid motionless on the ground as Shredder approached him and added, "Where I am stronger than ever. Fueled with rage."

Before Shredder could land another kick to Splinter's stomach, the rat grabbed Shredder by the leg and threw him over his body and across the roof. Sensei used that time to get to his feet and made his way over to his opponent.

"Rage is a fuel that burns quickly," Splinter said standing defensively.

"Always the wise one," Shredder replied before he threw a few small knives at Splinter.

The former human quickly blocked the attacks before Shredder got to his feet and ran at Splinter with his sharp blades aimed for his throat. Splinter quickly dodged the blades before Shredder grabbed him by the front of his robes and threw him into a crane holding heavy pipes. Before Splinter could get out of the way, the heavy load of pipes fell onto his body trapping him underneath. Shredder only laughed as he watched his opponent struggle.

"Where are your wise words now Yoshi?" Shredder said.

Suddenly out of nowhere Leatherhead flew over Splinter and tackled Shredder. The gator then wrapped his massive jaws around the man's middle and started chomped down as hard as he could before he swung his head back and forth. Splinter looked up in shock to see Shredder's body being thrown around like a rag doll. Finally after slamming his body into the ground one time, Leatherhead threw Shredder's body off to the side. The gator then turned his attention to Splinter and tried to pull the pipes off of him.

"Are you alright?" Leatherhead asked as he worked.

Splinter was about to answer when he noticed Shredder coming up behind Leatherhead and shouted, "Look out!"

All Splinter could do was watch as Shredder beat the alligator which was twice his size. He tried desperately to get himself out from under the pipes to help his friend but his foot seemed to be caught. After several attempts he finally got his foot lose but it was a moment too late. Splinter looked up just in time to see Leatherhead thrown onto a dock that quickly cracked under the gator's weight sending him into the cold water below. With a furious scream Splinter used what strength he had left to get him himself out from the pile of pipes. He roared as he ran at his enemy and hit him with everything he had.

"This is only the beginning Yoshi. He was just the first of many things I will take from you and destroy. Including your daughter and that mermaid," Shredder said as he blocked Splinter's attack.

"I will not allow you to take anyone else's happiness again," Splinter said before he tackled him sending them both flying off the building.

…

Casey pulled into an alley way before the turtles, Karai and April got out. It seemed like a safe enough area with a manhole cover. It was also the closest one they could get to that would lead to the lair.

"Come on we have to find Splinter," Raph said walking towards the manhole cover.

"What about Leo?" Mikey asked worried.

Casey turned in the driver's seat to look at him before he said, "don't worry he can stay with me. I need to find my dad and sister."

"I'll stay to and keep an eye on him," Irma added giving Mikey a reassuring smile. Mikey smiled back at her before turning to Maya who gave him a sad smile.

"This one must go as well and warn my people. This one must make sure her pod is protected," Maya explained sadly.

"I know…be careful," Mikey said before giving her a quick kiss on the lips.

"You as well beloved. Stay linked," she added before closing the sliding door.

April looked at Casey before she said, "alright we meet back here at this spot in two hours."

"Got it Red," Casey said before he took off in the van.

…

They made it back to the lair without any trouble and quickly searched the lair for Master Splinter. When they couldn't find him, they decided that they needed to grab what they needed and leave. As Donny was packing up all of his medical supplies and mutagen when he heard April crying out in pain from the living room. He quickly darted out of his lab to see Karai holding up the red headed girl who was crying out in pain.

"April, what's wrong?" Donny asked as he ran to her side.

"It's Sensei…I can sense him," she said before she cried out in pain again.

Karai wrapped one of April's arms around her shoulders before she said, "lead the way."

The red head led them down the sewers until they could hear the sounds of people fighting. The turtles ran ahead to see Splinter and Shredder fighting. Karai carried April over to see the two men fighting viciously. Blocked by bars, all the teenagers could do was watch the battle between their father and their enemy.

"Father!" Karai cried as she watched Splinter being thrown across the sewer.

"Take him down Sensei!" Raph cried as he watched his father get back up again.

Splinter spared his children a glance before he said to them, "leave this place, now!"

"Like hell we are," Raph replied not caring that he was swearing in front of his father.

"How appropriate that your children should be here to watch you fall," Shredder said as he thrust his blades at his opponent.

Shredder pulled a smoke bomb out from his pocket before throwing it at Splinter's eyes. While his opponent was blinded Shredder went in for the kill. However he wasn't expecting the former human to be able to find him while blind. Without hesitation, Splinter used the tips of his index fingers to find Shredder's pressure point sending him flying into another tunnel. Thinking the fight was over Splinter turned his back on his enemy and started walking towards his children.

"We must find a way to get out of this place," Splinter said as he walked around the pool in the room. Silently Shredder flew at Splinter and used the metal blades on his hands to stab Hamato Yoshi in the back.

"No!" the teens cried in horror as they watched Shredder lift up their father and throw him into the moving current below them.

They all watched in shock as Splinter's body disappeared beneath the water. Raph was the first to look up and glare at Shredder.

"You monster! I'M GONNA KILL YOU!" Raph screamed at the top of his lungs as he tried to break the bars that were keeping him from going after Shredder.

"That's enough Raph!" Mikey cried pulling his brother away from the bars. Raph turned to take out his anger on his baby brother but Mikey was quicker and pulled his big brother into a hug.

"It's gonna be okay. Sensei is a master ninja, he isn't going down that easy. Please bro calm down," Mikey begged as he held on to his brother tightly.

Raph immediately stopped when he heard his baby brother begging and slowly hugged him back holding on just as tight. The whole time Shredder paid them no mind as he continued to stare at Karai. The girl glared right back at him with deadly eyes.

"I will come for you Karai. You are _my _daughter," Shredder said in an authoritative voice.

Karai slammed her hands on the bars as she growled at the man who destroyed her life for the second time.

"How could you possibly think this would make me love you? What exactly did destroying our home accomplish for you?" Karai hissed making even the Shredder take a cautious step back.

"My mother would weep in shame if she could see you now destroying everything she loves for the second time!" she screamed as tears filled her eyes.

Karai had to take a minute to control her emotions before she looked at Shredder and hissed, "I am only going to say this to you one more time. You can come after me as many times as you like but it will never change the truth. My name is Hamato Miwa not Karai, I will _never _be your daughter and I will _never _love you again. I swear on my clan's honor that when next we meet, _I_ will be the one to kill you."

Shredder stood frozen as if meeting this girl for the first time. Never had he seen this girl stand as strong and proud as she did standing up to him. For the first time he had realized that even though he had defeated his enemy, he had lost the war.

…

Donny wrapped his hands around Karai's which were holding onto the bars so tightly that her knuckles were white.

"Come on. We have to go Karai," Donny whispered gently into her ear.

The girl let go before she turned to Donny and said, "My name is Miwa."

After that nothing more was said as the teens solemnly made their way back to the meeting spot where the van was waiting.

April opened the door to see Casey with his head resting on the steering wheel of the van and using his fist to pound on it. Donny opened the door to see Isla and Irma looking over Leo while Maya held Caspian in her arms, all of them with tears streaming down their faces. Karai, April and the turtles quickly got inside before Casey started driving.

Nobody said a word as they made their way out of the city they once called home. April looked in the back seat to see Irma helping Isla with Leo using the bandages Donny had grabbed. Raph and Donny sandwiched Mikey and Maya in between them holding Caspian. Karai was beside Raph with her arms wrapped around her knees and her head laying on them sobbing. She then looked over at Casey to see his eyes full of tears and an angry expression on his face. Quietly the red head slid over and rested her head on Casey's shoulder as tears started falling down her face as well. With a heavy sigh, Casey took his hand off the wheel and wrapped it around April's shoulder.

In the back of the van Raph looked over at Leo before he looked over at Karai crying her eyes out. Without a second thought he reached over and wrapped his arm around her before pulling her to his side.

"It's gonna be okay you guys," Raph said trying to comfort his siblings.

"How do you know?" Karai sobbed.

"I dunno but it will," Raph replied gently.

Mikey looked up at his red masked brother before he asked, "What's gonna happen now?"

Raph sighed before he admitted, "For the first time in my life…I have no idea little brother."

The rest of the trip was met with silence except for April mumbling directions for Casey. None of them had a plan about what to next but they all agreed that at least they had each other to get through their grief.

* * *

Yes before you ask there is a sequel coming. Thank you so much to everyone who enjoyed this story it was a blast to write. TTYL readers


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